September questions answered

At the end of the Livestock dream when Step overhears Regina speaking to her assistant, is it significant that they are using gendered pronouns to refer to the subject of their conversation?

I would say that might be in the eye of the beholder. Most people would use gendered pronouns by reflex, even if "it" might be a more official stance for the base re-gene.

When the Rangers eventually found out about Sidestep's telepathy, did Sidestep get any of the typical 'Oh yeah, what number am I thinking of right now?' questions?

Absolutely.

Will there be an opportunity for a Gender Questioning Sidestep to start actively transitioning in the story? I absolutely love how gender has been treated thus far, and would love to see even more of it!

Yeah, that is planned.

Who is more obsessed with Sidestep, Ortega or Regina?

Ortega... I started typing, and then I hesitated. Maybe it's Regina? It's... hard to say actually.

Have Herald and Vera ever run into each other (literally) when he was out flying and she was in pigeon form?

Yes, but not physically crashing into each other.

Will trans Sidesteps get to have any more unique interactions with ROs and other characters? I really loved how this was handled in Retribution.

When something comes up that will be different for them, yes.

Glad you're feeling better!

Sadly I then started feeling worse again. Better now, still sick, but no fever, just slime, coughs and exhaustion. It's hit my parents and partner hard too, my mum had to go to the emergency room. They're doing better now, but it's been a hard month for everyone.

It's been mentioned that drugs like sedatives and painkillers inhibit telepathic ability -- are stimulants similarly disruptive? Or would they help in the short term?

I would say that they can help sharpen focus slightly, so more helpful in the short term.

Will the location/circumstances that a car crash Step is in at the end of Retribution/beginning of Revelations have much of an impact on their recovery? 

I have some things planned, but I'll have to see how that would affect the story. They are not added yet.

Given his heart accelerates to a worrying rate the more intensely he uses his powers, would it help if Blaze strengthened his heart via aerobic exercise and the like/be on a diet that helps with heart health?

Physical fitness is very important to him in order to use his powers, so yeah, he's doing that already.

Does Nocturne actually care if her vision of justice actually lines up with what the majority of people affected would consider ‘fair’ or ‘right’?

Not even a little.

The nanovore cage is in the left hand of the villain suit. Is Sidestep intended to be right-handed, with the nanovores as an off-hand?

It is more of an allusion to "left hand path," not an implication of handedness. I'm just a humble Swedish metalhead.

Is Hollow Ground getting enough sugar? They get tired from their telepathy often and don’t seem particularly inclined to sugary stuff.

They probably should have a better diet/energy intake, yes.

How strict is border control between the FWT and the rest of the US? Would you be able to cross into a state outside of the FEZ without realizing it?

Considering that a lot of the rocky mountain region bordering the FEZ got hit hard by ash/eruptive activity, it's rather easy to cross over the border. Idaho, Utah and Arizona are quite depopulated, large tracts of lands essentially a wasteland.

Does Las Vegas exist (in a similar capacity/niche to today)?

It exists, but not like today, no. Atlantic City holds that role now.

A question a while back about gaming consoles having updated hardware but not so much online compatibility made me consider: I know phones don’t have apps or internet and are mainly for calling/texting, but are they mostly touchscreen by now or are they still stuck in the Blackberry keyboard era? Are flip phones still in?

Flip phones still exist, and are useful/cheap. Touch screens also exist, and are more high end.

Is there a set number of limbs the Catastrofiend has right now?

I fear saying something and then changing my mind. Maybe six? Might be more or less if it's dramatically appropriate.

Does the Catastrofiend eat things/people with its mouth (generous term) or does it use some other apparatus (such as a vacuum mod or something not traditionally mouth-y)?

Oh it uses its mouth. Though it's not... traditional at this point.

Does the Catastrofiend still wear clothes?

You wish it would. But not last time you saw it.

What exactly is a scrambler? I believe I’ve seen them be mentioned in the context of disrupting both people and cameras before, so I’m not sure if “scrambler” is a catch-all term for different devices or if they are mechanistically related somehow but just act on different targets.

It's a catch-all term really. There are many variants, and most are combined in order to disrupt many things. It's like calling a gun a gun, regardless of whether it's a high powered rifle, a handgun, a paintball gun, or a water pistol. Not always technically correct, but people do it anyway.

To add onto that, how large are the radii on them? Do they have different main variants like dampeners do?

There are a lot of variants, but I would say they tend to have rather small radius, many focused in a single direction.

There are files on Sidestep that exist in-world, like the Mitchell’s villain profile or the Farm barcode file. Will we ever get the opportunity to see these (or something in similar vein to these) in-game or would writing and/or programming something like that in be too unfitting or messy?

The main problem would be that I had to write them, and thus finalize all Sidesteps secrets in a single, unchanging document instead of being able to adjust if needed.

How modded are Ortega’s bones? Have they had bones replaced entirely, or do their mods just add on to what they already have?

Not replaced, but strengthened in some places. Don't ask me how... there are limits to my pseudoscience!

We know Shroud finds boosts and people with interesting life experiences to be a tastier experience for her. Does the Catastrofiend find certain boosts tastier than others? Or does it not discriminate as much.

I'm sure it might, yeah. But it's less discriminating.

Would Hollow Ground watch American reality TV show Shark Tank or would it remind them of work too much.

Too much like work.

Herald flies around in civilian clothes constantly. Does he actually get cold doing that? If he doesn't get cold, is that part of his boost or is he just good with cold temperatures?

Part of his boost is that he has a limited resistance to cold/friction. His eyes can handle wind better, though he prefers goggles while flying fast. One could argue that he simply also affects the surrounding air molecules with his powers, thus lessening the issues he would have. He does get cold if he goes high, and flying can get chilly even on a lower altitude. He has gotten a cold or two by overdoing that.

Lord Ember has a thing for Lady Argent; does he have some one-sided rivalry with Herald due to his media relationship with her?

No, he thinks nothing of Herald. What a useless softie.

Would Herald’s past with fire affect how well he’s able to face pyrokinetics in a fight, or considering the rescue work he performed for the United California fire, has he managed to keep that part of his trauma under control?

Herald has actually gone to therapy and worked hard on dealing with his traumatic memories of fire. As a flier, he is often one of the ones who really can do the classic save people from a burning building if he passes by. It still bothers him though, but usually afterwards, once the adrenaline and focus has passed.

Argent’s nanovores don’t deal well with fire, but how about Steel’s armor? Are they built to be fire/heat resistant?

It varies. Most are at least somewhat, but some are made for it.

How long between two doses of boost does it become two distinct boosts and not just an extension of the first one (such as in microdosing)? That is to say; what is the refractory period? I assume it's just "the first boost is fully metabolized before another dose is considered the second one" which then makes me wonder if microdosers have to be careful to not wait until it fully metabolizes before taking their subsequent doses.

I would say that the boost power has to fully set in first, which would be a few weeks. But microdosing is generally done at least daily, in order to avoid this.

How exactly does the eye color variable continuity work (in terms of Heartbreak, Hollow Ground, etc) for Sidesteps that got green eyes after the Void encounter?

It won't matter at all for Heartbreak. For Hollow Ground, I guess it is just one more thing that is less identical between them.

When writing wiki entries, are you alright with us making references to Patreon only posts? If there is contradictory information in any of the Q&A answers, should we assume the most recent answer is the most accurate?

I would avoid large dumps of Patreon lore if you can, but some things are already out there and have been out there since the tumblr days so I can understand oversights. This goes more for the lore posts than the QnA's. However, I wouldn't be terrified of referring to facts (apart from certain discord only secrets). As long as you don't reproduce massive parts of the text, and refer to the patreon post as a source, I can see it being alright. Like, for example, who are in the Guardians, lists of other Ranger teams and so on. These are facts that will come out eventually, and it might make some people aware that the Patreon exists, so it's not just a bad thing. Just use your judgment, and be aware that I might change my mind about facts as they go in the book.

Is Blaze at all good at baking? Given the needs of his boost. Does he have a sweet tooth?

He has a sweet tooth, but I think he buys things instead.

What does the Handyman see in Owl to have fallen in love with her?

He loves her drive, dedication, and sense of humor. Not many see the latter.

Is Void blood only able/more likely to grant powers that are related to Void's own powers? 

I would say not.

Would eating Catfiend flesh have similar Boosting properties as Void blood? 

Gross, but I could see it.

HG only cares about a few people, some Sidestep's only care about a few people. Just because they care about each other doesn't mean they care for each other's people, could that be a problem? 

I think we can safely say it will be a problem.

If Sidestep is super suspicious at the gala does part of Ortega already know who it is they are fighting, even if other parts try to deny it?

Yeah. Sometimes you don't want to face the truth.

If Ortega knows who the villain is would they be more hurt/insulted by them going all out in a fight or holding back? 

Holding back for sure.

After Sidestep's nano and Void TBRs would people familiar with their telepathy be able to feel a difference when they're in their mind? 

Hmmmm. Hmmmm. I would say tentatively yes.

If Nocturne could safely be boosted again, but doing so would make her immune to threading, would she do it? 

No bloody way. She loves her threads.

Are infants more or less likely to survive Boosting? 

Less likely. The greatest chance is somewhere in the 10-15 bracket, right before/during/right after puberty.

How good are the Rat King compared to dedicated armor control mods? 

Not as good. Yet.

Do ReGenes, or maybe some cuckoos, have their fingerprints burnt off?

No.

how would ortega react to a low daring sidestep getting misgendered on purpose? i love protective ortega im sorry but its true

Oh Ortega would be PISSED.

Since Argent's a movie buff I need to know for my own personal judgement what is her stance on the Lord of the Rings trilogy theatrical or extended cut? Now that I think about it what is her opinion on all the smoldering crap remakes most of which are Disney movies? I think my opinion is plain to see. What's her opinion on Netflix death note? Sorry for reminding people that even exists.

EXTENDED CUT OF COURSE! I don't think she would ever watch a live action Disney movie, nor Death Note. (Mainly because I have not seen them, so...)

What is Sunstream’s civilian name if it’s not too spoilery? My brain decided to hyperfixate on her and I’m running purely on hc 

I honestly have never decided that. Nothing has really felt right.

Is the drug that stops telepaths from reading minds called Numbers (as in making you numb) or Numbers (as in 1 2 3).

The first. It is numbers, as in feeling numb.

Also, this is more of a retribution question, but does Hollow Ground always know Sidesteps secret identity? Or is there some variable I’m missing?

It varies slightly, but a sidekick Sidestep might remain unknown. Then HG's fact checker have not picked up on who they are because they have not been deemed important.

Ignoring everything else relating to things like security feeds and patrol sweeps, would Nocturne notice if one (or more) of her luxurious clothes/items was replaced with a perfect forgery, that’s nonetheless considered worthless in value to the original? 

By definition she would not notice a forgery if it was perfect.

Would Themmy vs Catastrofiend have been a total stalemate or would one of them have the upper hand?

I would say Themmy would have, but they would never be able to catch the Catastrofiend, so it would just leave.

Did the Farm know that Sidestep was their runaway cuckoo before recapturing them? If so, was part of their mission at HB to recover Sidestep, or was it just pure chance that it played out the way it did?

Pure chance, Sidestep was an unexpected bonus, that was not why they were there.

Has Ortega ever had a discreet same sex romance, or would Sidestep/Puppet be the first?

I would say there was some experimentation/kissing during teenage years, but nothing beyond that. So I would say that Sidestep/Puppet would be the first.

Does Dr. Mortum have a pretty friendly relationship with any of their other clients, or is the Puppet an exception?

Oh they have. Both Dove and Sky-Raider are what Mortum would consider almost-friends, and there are others. A romanced puppet has come closest though, that's a line Dr. Mortum usually don't cross.

If the MC actually goes to the auction, it looks like the outcome ranges from chaotic to total bloodbath. What was the death toll during all of that? Anyone of note lost?

I would say that in the upper levels of chaos (manipulated guards and the like) the death toll would be in the dozens. High enough to trigger the "massacre" tag. I think there was some minor celebrities and rich customers there, but none that Sidestep deemed important.

If Sidestep brings the full weight of their mind to bear on a regular person, could they destroy it completely and send them into a vegetative state?

Yes. Whether it would be permanent depends on the mental strength of the individual.

Other than the Void, has Sidestep definitely killed anyone or is that player determined?

Player determined.

What caused the Phoenix massacre? Like, did the Catastrofiend just lose it and go on a rampage or were there circumstances leading up to it?

Oh there were circumstances alright... might write about it one day, we'll see.

We know a little about the Big One and the nanosurge and Heartbreak, but zooming out from Cali and going global, what is the biggest disaster caused by a single individual villain? In terms of death toll or economic damage or just impact on history. 

The biggest disaster caused by a single individual is something called the "Belgian Mass Anomaly." While there are many conspiracy theories about this event, these are the facts that most agree upon. In the early nineties, a Belgian man injected smuggled boost drugs in a last attempt to extend his life. He was severely ill in cancer at the time, and it is speculated that he hoped for either a quick death or a cure. Neither happened. Instead he became ground zero for what might be the largest and most gruesome display of boosted ability on European soil. While it is speculated (hoped) that the man died soon after boosting, his cancer did not, and grew exponentially and out of control. Before it was finally destroyed, it had taken over most of the city of Brussels. While many citizens were evacuated, it is estimated that almost half a million were overwhelmed and incorporated in the growing mass. Some claim that most of those half a million dead came from the massive firebombing needed to destroy and sterilize the mass, but the official stance is that everyone in the targeted area was dead already. Others claim that this was not a random boosting accident, but a deliberate attack on EU leadership. Who would be behind it depends on the political affiliations of the one who proposes the theory. Yet others claims that it was a terrorist attack. Regardless of the cause, the horrifying effects of this event helped strengthen EU regulations and fears of boost drug use.

How about the biggest caused by a hero (accidentally, presumably)?

Most of those are classified, as they happened during wartime deployment (if they could be counted as heroes) but one of the more horrific accidents was when the Soviet hero Baiqoñyr lost control of his massive armor during an arms trade exhibition and over a hundred lives were lost during the barrage or trampled by the crowd as they tried to squeeze out of the display area. It is said this was due to a faulty IFF unit, which determined the onlookers to be targets, rather than the dummies he was supposed to practice on. Some claim it was sabotage in order to ruin soviet arms sales, others that it was an early experiment with artificial intelligence that went rogue.

What was Ortega's bi awakening if they didn't date/crush on a same-sex/nb sidestep in the past?

I think it was one of those things that was vaguely there, but never acted on, and just pushed down at not important.

In the same vein, what was herald's bi awakening?

Oh that was absolutely Sidestep if applicable.

Does vera have a favorite breed(s) of pigeons? 

Egyptian Swift.

You've said before that the threshold for major telepathy fuckery is having 80< in either of the stats. Does that mean that even if you get it up even more to 90< or even 100 the effects will be the same in-story?

I do have some cutoffs at 81-83 as well I think. You can't ever reach 100. And I would say that anything above 85 would be treated the same. This is not a game focused on stat hunting.

What is going on through Ortega's mind if you walk away in anger from then at the park? 

Deja vu. It has happened before. Probably cursing themselves afterwards for letting it happen again. A bit of a panic that it will be for good.

Any change Sidestep can find out what Arde's unspoken plans are? Either Arde telling voluntarily or Sidestep discovering through their telepathy? 

Most likely.

What did Ace consider their best/worst quality to be?  

Not caring about people. That's for both of them.

In earlier version of Retribution in the Anarchist path there was a choice to be able to "kill people in power" regardless whether Sidestep had or hadn't killed before, but now you can only choose that if Sidestep is a known killer, is there any particular reason for the change? 

It wasn't really enough specific content for that path, so I folded it into the others to simplify.

How would have things gone if Ortega had not run into the MC at the diner? 

Then the first meeting would have been the fight at the museum, which might have gone similarly, but possibly with a lot stronger Sidestep reaction during the Ortega fight.

If a powerful/active immune reduces survival odds when Boosting, does that mean bats, infamous for being asymptomatic carriers of terrible diseases, have the highest Boosting odds out of the nonhuman animal kingdom? Bat king when? 

You know what? You're right. You're absolutely right. Lucky for everyone that bats are not a common animal when it comes to experiments...

Do intake method like ingesting vs injecting affect Boosting survival odds? Could you snort the powdered form?

Technically you could snort the powdered form, but I am doubtful you could snort enough for it to work as intended. If you did it repeatedly and often enough, it might work as a microdosing boost option, but I think that's rare. It's not pleasant. It is theorized that ingesting increases survival odds, but there are so many other variables it's hard to be sure.

Could a commercial water filter remove the Hero Drug from a faucet?

If it included active carbon, I think it could help.

Is Project Stripes still ongoing?

Yes, but no new active sites.

Is there increased incidents of cancer in areas that were affected by Project Stripes?

Oh yes. But there are so many of those areas on the west coast, due to lax environmental regulations.

I'm guessing that in spite of all the boosts and mods in FH's America, there's still no force powerful enough to make the US adopt the Metric system?

Nope.

Of the ROs, who would be easier or harder to romance as an outsider rather than sidestep? By how much?

I have no idea! No idea at all.

You've mentioned before that, of all the cast, Herald would be most likely to have gender thoughts if he had a puppet. Do you ever intend to explore that side of him in the games, or do you see him staying a basically gender-conforming cis dude the whole time? 

I won't bring that up in game I think. No time, and this is just my view on things. If it's not in the game, people can have their own headcanons. Technically I haven't said he's cis in the game either, I've just not said that he's trans. Everyone but Mortum is technically Schrödinger's gender conforming.

A tech savvy Step can ask about Mortum why they are using titanium connectors when they interrupt their work after the nightmare/therapy. Mortum responds its titanium becasue its meant to go under the skin. Is this a mod? Are they making it for themselves or a client? 

Indeed it will go under the skin. It is a mod for a client! I don't know more than that.

How far do Cuckoos travel for their missions? Since they're a higher escape risk, does the Farm prefer to keep them in the West or is it possible that some Steps have traveled all over?

It is possible, and maybe even likely that Sidestep has been all over. Even the east coast. However, Sidestep would not really have seen much difference, they were only given as much information as they need for the mission. Mostly about the people they needed to interact with, rarely about where it happened.

Assuming Argent gave up being human shaped, how small of a space could she fit herself into?

Anything a pre-teen child could fit into I think. Her core is still the same, she'd just lose some limbs and bulk.

From Ace's perspective, what were the chances that they would leave their meeting with Shroud without getting hollowed out?

Very, very slim.

As a recap for those with swiss cheese brain or can't stand patreon/tumblr search functions, what are the things that you plan to change, remove, add, or edit in the rebirth patch? Is there anything or some things in particular that you are excited to do for it? Anything that might lead to a patch for Retribution as well? 

There are a number of things going into the half-finished Rebirth patch. Lots of minor things, like being able to cover up Argent with your cape after you beat her in the sewers, and some gender/sexuality tweaks, secret crush fixes/contents and some other stuff. No major parts, just a lot of little things.

And i believe it was mentioned at some point that you hope to add a route in rebirth where sidestep transitioned/came out only after heartbreak. Do you still plan to add this route if you are able?

I still want to try to fit that, yes.

What does (or would) Arde, Ben and Vera think of Spoon? 

Everyone loves Spoon, that's the law.

Do the cats in Chen's neighbourhood all live in fear of Spoon and his lust for the chase?

Spoon is leashed in the neighborhood, so they are safe!

Excluding secrets/mysteries like nanovore symbiosis or whatever Pyroclast's deal is, is there any consensus on who amongst all the Ranger teams past or present would be considered the strangest in terms of power?

To be fair, Pyroclast really freaks everyone out once they start thinking about it. Probably the one,

Would Step’s neutered nanovores consume the ink in a tattoo on a person? Would they eat the ReGene tattoos?

No in both cases.

Have any Regenes been captured by foreign powers?

I would say probably not, unless I realize that will be cooler for the story in the future.

Has Blaze or Lord Ember ever tried cooking food using their bare hands and their powers?

Oh yes. And it works quite nice.

For Zephyr, is their perception of time slowed down constantly because of their speed or is it only altered when they are moving fast consciously?

Only when consciously using their powers. It is an effort to keep up, and not something can be done indefinitely.

We know that daniel misidentifies his gravity powers as flight. Is his first instinctive use of it as such because of his personality, and could it have been the opposite? Basically, if he had a different personality and received his powers in the same manner, could he have started crushing everything around him instead of flying?

Yeah, that is pretty correct. If he had started with different base assumptions, the "core expression" of his powers would be different.

Does anyone in the main cast do journaling? & if so is it strictly professional or do they keep a personal diary as well?

Hmmmm. I don't think either of them does, the closest would be Dr. Mortum's meticulous documenting of their experiment, which sometimes also includes personal notes.

would ortega have as much (or more) information as chen does about project stripes? 

I would say less.

How does Argent feel about a saving villainStep considering she is a hero that, on occasion, kills?

She'd be very sympathetic towards them, even if they might be an annoyance.

For guilty Sidestep scenarios, does Chen tell the rest of the team about Sidestep helping him save people in Carter's mansion?

That is something that will be revealed in game, right now you do not know...

Which ranger has the best emergency medical skills?

Chen. He's been in the army. But all have training, he's just got more experience.

Is Argent more at ease that a Step, who isn't lying about their telepathy being on the fritz, is around given they have a proven track record with the nanovores should she lose control?

Yeah. She really is. And also less at ease because Sidestep can get into her head. So... gain some points, lose some points.

Charge, Herald, and Argent have been popular Rangers of choice for movies where they’re a villain’s love interest: either redeeming them, or turning over to the villain side themselves: but what about Steel?

Sadly, Steel was never leading man material for the big screen. This was in part because he was not deemed "conventionally hot," partly because he was not the type to have chemistry with villains, just beating them. There was also a wariness of stressing the Rangers' military background. While you could have made a very cool movie in the military/action style with Steel, that might not be in the interest of the Rangers' media team. Something that suited Chen just fine.

Is Lord Ember jealous that HG has Nocturne as a hot lover/co-leader? Does that jealousy also extend to them having Jake in their bed?

I don't think so, Lord Ember underestimates Nocturne badly and thinks she's just arm candy. As such, he has equally hot lovers, and more of them too!

I'm not sure if I worded this in a way that makes sense but do boosts have a tangible affect on the individuals mind(scape)? For example, since Ember is a fire boost does that mean their mindscape is burning hot & could potentially destroy something that isn't a natural part of his mind? Like say a red thread?

Some boosts might. It is not unheard of that physical boosts have mental effects as well. That could be true for Lord Ember, it is not a bad theory, but I will avoid specifying his mindscape right now due to... reasons.

Did The Crack have any connection or knowledge of anything related to Project Stars and/or Stripes? 

Nope.

Was Dread Reactor already up and running while Cavalier was active?

I would say yeah, I am not exactly sure of the timeline but it would at least have been in the testing/deployment stage, though I am not sure if it had escaped yet.

What responsibilities does being Captain of the Guardians even entail? Alvarez seems to give the orders, after all.

Leader in the field, handling pr, managing the team members, being the symbol... a lot of things.

Has Blaze ever grabbed a water bottle after an intense fight to cool down: only for his hand to melt through plastic?

Oh absolutely.

Has there been any attempt to time a double Boost with a Traumatic Boost Response? Would the effects compound?

I think there probably has been experiments, and some would argue that a double boosting incident might BE a traumatic boost response in itself. Exactly what happen is too varied to be predicted, it is a rare thing.

Does Steel believe that sidestep is joking or exaggerating when they mention that Lady Argent choked them, or he just figures it wasn't serious since sidestep is intact and walking around? Or is any concern of that overshadowed by the urge to defend a teammate or change the subject? 

At the time, Steel took it as exaggeration, making a mental note to check with Lady Argent later. It is only later, after other incidents might have happened (like the eye) that he would look back and feel bad for not investigating it more throughly as a sign of instability.

Could Argent, with her technopathy, manipulate the digital roulette games at Joes/other places?

Perhaps. The driving randomizer is quantum decomposition in nature, so she wouldn't be able to affect that. But it is possible she might affect the display area.

Are there any possible poly combos you know absolutely will not be happening?

Steel Argent and Steel Herald.

Shroud instantly recognized Ace if they scout the casino. Does she usually remember her victims? If so is that related to her powers or does she just have a good memory? Or was Ace just special?

She remembers her victims, some minor things remain with her.

Would Steps telepathy work on an AI?

No.

Does Lord Ember’s organization have a unique name or is it just referred to as something like “the Ember/SF mob”? & if so does he get mad when people don't use it? 

It is all focused around him, I don't think his group has a special name.

Were food diet pills really that popular back when the Hero drug was first sold?

Did people want to get thin during the sixties and seventies? Oh yes. Both Ephedra and Fenfluramine were launched in the seventies, and later withdrawn for dangerous side effects.

Was Cavalier ever patriotic? Or was his service just a job to him?

I think he was at the start, he was a volunteer after all.

Will it depend on Sidestep to reveal themselves to Hollow Ground? Or will Hollow Ground be able to meet Sidestep outside of a villain even if Sidestep doesn't show HG who they are? Sorry if I'm not wording the question right

I am not sure yet. Not ruling it out, but I'll have to see where the story goes.

IIRC the memories of soldiers are some of the most commonly used for regenes & some Discord exclusive lore makes it sound like regenes can be traumatized by implanted memories so I was curious: 

— If the donor in question was traumatized by a memory the regene receives does the trauma carry over to the regene as well? & if so will they have the same response as the donor?

— Does this happen often & how does The Farm usually handle these situations?

Trauma can carry over, and sometimes be bad enough to entirely overwhelm the fresh mind. If so, the Re-Gene tends to be scrubbed and implanted with a new "memory mix," and if it happens often enough, the culprit memory is not used again even if it's efficient in other ways. Minor trauma is often lost as the Re-Gene's mind matures, forgotten or buried like childhood traumas might be. It can linger as various minor quirks, not strong enough to impact performance.

Could Ortega pull off a lightning redirection like some of the firebenders in Avatar: the Last Airbender?

Before Ortega had the generator, they had pulled off similar things at times, drawing energy from let's say an electricity outlet and releasing it as lightning when battery levels were low. However, never with a high voltage instant source like a lightning bolt. It would be theoretically possible, but the question would be how much it would damage Ortega/the systems.

Alright is the reason Danny's suspicion isn't tracked because it's literally just going to be a true or false variable? Like, the rose tinted glasses will either crack or his denial will just be too strong.

Yeah, at this point in time that is my plan. It would also be a middle "suspicious" value that wouldn't last long. Daniel would confront Sidestep at the earliest opportunity.

Is Vera’s capacity for facial expressions at all limited, considering birds generally not having the facial muscles to do them?

Not in her human form. As a bird, yes.

does hollow ground interact with the outside world beyond their inner circle and new recruits

On occasion, but less than Nocturne or Jake.

How connected is the rat king to sidestep? Is it a bit like they're watching a movie when sidestep uses the suit or can they feel/taste/smell what Sidestep does?

The latter, but not fully. So... maybe in the middle? More with the telepathic subsystems.

In terms of Ortega and Chen, how much of their mods is actually for use and how much of it is just fail-safes and buffers to keep it from cooking the meat bag it's been stowed away in? For example, do some mods require synthetic organs because they're just too hard on the body otherwise? 

OH yes. A lot of the mods are for supporting the body. For Chen, that's a lot of structural mods to support his artificial limbs. For Ortega, it's a lot of energy and heat dispersal.

Who all is apart of the Guardians? We know of Blaze and Zypher, is there anyone else?

Current Guardians lineup as of Revelations:

Captain Blaze, team leader. Boost. Controls heat, and can set fire to things. Charismatic. Flamboyant. He was a former member of the Long Beach Heroes before they dissolved. Possibly dead.

Zephyr, official second in command. Boost. Some variation of speed and possibly air powers. Sharp. Impulsive. They were in the Long Beach Heroes with Blaze before joining the Guardians. New leader if Blaze is dead.

Temerain. Boost. Telekinetic. She was a vigilante for many years before joining the Guardians, and closing in on 40, she's the oldest of them. She's clever, and still a bit of a lone wolf.

Porthole. Mod. What could be described as a brain in a jar, connected to a robotic body. Very little is known about them.

Bumblebee: Boost. In her early thirties. Former vigilante. She can fly, and lift heavy things, not fast but maneuverable. During her vigilante days her weapon of choice was her stingers, which started out as a taser, but was upgraded into proper multi-use weapons after joining the Guardians. 

XXX: A mysterious new, unnamed recruit.

Has any Ranger family member / civilian friend been successfully kidnapped or harmed? How accessible is their personal information?

Probably once or twice, but the repercussions tends to be dire for anyone trying. The personal information is kept under wraps, it takes effort to find out things.

Did Ace have friends or family prior to boosting or were they always a loner?

They were a loner, not really that personable. Tended not to trust people, and see them as just trying to use them.

Did Anathema and Owl get along, or did Owl have similar feelings towards them as she did to sidestep?

Owl wasn't very fond of Anathema, she saw them as naive.

What would a modern non-general Ai like Chat GPT feel like to Argent?

Just another machine, a bigger version of an auto-correct. It would be nothing interesting to use there.

Did Ortega ever practice confessing in the secret crush route?

Hah. Ortega doesn't practice.

Does Argent regret some of the features she's taken on? Like, does she ever have thoughts like "I wish I'd made my nose a bit softer"?

No. She had at the start, a lot of the time, which led to her losing control of her features. Now she has to tell herself that what she has is perfect, and spend a lot of time visualizing that. No room for doubt.

What does Argent like best about Ortega and vice versa?

They both share a taste for risk taking, action, and improvisation. A look before you leap attitude, but with enough experience to make risks calculated instead of stupid. I think they both feel that there's no effort being around each other, they are comfortable keeping secrets and doesn't pry.

Do Chen's siblings ever miss him?

I think it's far to say that they did, especially at first. Family fallouts are always complicated.

Will Ortega ever kiss Villainstep while not knowing it's Step? I need more angst in Ortega's love life.

I have no idea!

Can they do this while dating the puppet? I need Ortega to fall for all of Step’s alter egos.

Still no idea!

Can Ortega tie a cherry stem with their mouth? Would they ever do it in front of romanced or crushing!Step? 

I mean it's not that hard!

Will there be a line about Charge and Sidestep 2.0 teaming up together again if we can ally with them or save civvies together or something?

Possibly, not sure yet.

In the spawning pond, are Re-Genes allowed to enter the area? Or is it just staff in charge of Re-Gene development?

That is staff only, but I suspect there might be a few "staff re-genes" who are not sent on assignments but kept on the farm for their useful boosts that might be allowed there for medical purposes and the like.

Is it a safe place to be in? Or does the nature of boosting make the ‘nursery’ dangerous to visit?

The force grow incubation area is not dangerous. But the part where the actual boosting takes place, the "ignition area," is. It is heavily reinforced and protected, and only one Re-Gene at the time is boosted. Things can go explosively wrong. Once that part is over, the now boosted Re-Gene is moved to a safer, more general area once more,

What’s Australia’s deal in FHR? What are they up to?

Caught in a tense political situation. With their closest historical allies (the Brits) so far away, they are navigating between the US, China and Southeast Asia and trying to position themselves as rather neutral. Do not ruffle any feathers. By being neutral (not as neutral as the Swiss, but maybe Sweden in the cold war), they are a useful trading partner for companies wanting to trade with the opposing political blocks. Combined with a strong mining industry, Australia is doing pretty well, but always feels like it's one political misstep away from messing everything up. SO far they have kept mostly everyone happy.

Is it possible that a boost who can teleport across the universe potentially spark some interest space travel, or are the people in FHR stubbornly disinterested in exploring the cosmos?

A boost that can teleport across the universe would most likely die, and not come back. But yes, the space race might still happen, some might argue it is starting now that the first satellites have launched.

What was the original purpose of the lab Snowball was found in?

Developing controlled and stable boosting procedures, trying to control both the result, survivability, and the nature of the boosts.

Could someone with super senses hear or smell the nanovores Argent has? 

Possibly, yes. If they knew what they were perceiving. However, most would probably think it too improbable and just think it feels similar. Sidestep didn't pick it up either at first, even though the hints were there.

We know Sidestep would be pretty rancid for another telepath to perceive, but what would Argent look like to another technopath?

Hold would Argent look to another technoparh? Would she avoid them?

Oh another technopath would pick up the nanovores immediately, at least as being machines. If they had not seen nanovores before they wouldn't come to that conclusion, but they would think of it as nanomachines. Argent would avoid them like the plague.

What's the most Argent has shaved off of a single meeting by messing with the digital clock?

Probably fortyfive minutes.

What's Mortum's preferred villainstep career before they know puppet and villain are the same person? Does it change after finding out?

It depends on other factors too. I think in general, things like Thief feels safer and more useful to them, while Anarchist might be the riskiest.

Will we get the chance to gently bully Ortega into shaving in book 3?

Will we ever get the chance to forcibly remove Ortega’s facial hair, either with a razor or possibly as consequence of a heavy attack by the villain?

No more facial hair mods planned right now.

If Step gave a platonic facial hair suggestion, and later a romanced puppet gave a facial hair suggestion, which would win?

No idea!

if HG tried to thread someone through a super sheer fabric, would it work? How about a mesh?

It requires skin contact. If it was sheer enough that there would be skin contact through the threads, like in a mesh, it would work. If the fabric was thin but tightly woven, no.

Is there someone at the Farm who as part of their job has to examine celeb magazines to see if Sidestep has turned up in one of Ortega's photos?

No.

Ortega and Herald both want Sidestep to go back into the hero business. Do they start to doubt the feasibility of that after finding out Step is Regene? (Like it would be mighty suspicious if a vigilante very similar to Sidestep showed up working alongside the rangers) Or have they not given consideration to this?

That has thrown a spanner into the works, but the dream is still there.

Is Hollow Ground wanting or needing for Sidestep to be their younger sibling? How far are they willing to go to make excuses as to why Sidestep is their sibling? Would it stop if Sidestep tried to put their foot down? 

That is spoilers for book three! Not gonna tell you.

Could anathema breathe underwater or need less oxygen than most? Survive extreme temperatures? 

Surviving extreme temperatures was no issue. And they could survive without oxygen for long periods of time, though I think the maximum they ever tried was a couple of hours.

What’s Nocturne’s Ljungstrand number?

Don't think she would count.

Considering all the ports across Ortega's spine, how safe would it be to give them a back massage?

Considering that you work the muscles, it should be safe enough.

Does Ortega think that Step is being used as a distraction by Hollow Ground? Either because Ortega thinks they're getting close to something or as a more general distraction for the upcoming gang war?

I don't think Ortega thinks that.

Blaze can generate heat: but can he ever go the opposite way? Bleeding the heat out of the room to create a colder environment?

Potentially, but I don't think he has ever used his powers that way. Probably need a traumatic boost response to get there.

Did Jake ever struggle with phasing through the ground when he'd use his powers? Was that something he had to master or something that he knew how to do innately when he got his powers?

Yes. That was a big issue at the start. Still can be when he loses focus.

What did Herald and Argent think happened during Heartbreak prior to Book 1?

We'll get into that in this book!

Can we call Arsenaux by a nickname? Preferably one that cuts out the ‘naux’ from her moniker?

Not gonna implement it in the book, but I see what you did there... ;)

How would the rat king react if we approached Psychopathor and they sensed that he had made a new rat king for his canon?

Psychopathor can't make a rat-king, he stole it!

If they knew they were going to get an honest answer, what is one thing Argent, Herald and Steel would like to ask Step?

I really have no idea! That's such a what-if question.

How disappointed is Ortega that Step can't offer critical intel on the inner workings of HG's organisation when it comes out they're a regene? 

Very. Ortega's gonna try not to show it though.

Does Herald do any extra research into a Lupin villainstep that he doesn't do for the other careers?

Maybe. But not much.

Has Ortega ever consider that Sidestep could have amnesia and not know they're HG's sibling?

Nope, Sidestep is obviously actively hiding their origins.

Does ortega, in their tinfoil conspiracy, ever think that HG thinks ortega "got back" at HG killing hood by causing the death of their younger sibling? Does this sort of fuck ortega up? 

No, that has never crossed Ortega's mind.

Does Black Friday exist in the FEZ?

I think so. It makes sense.

What power would Nocturne want if she could choose?

Telekinesis!

Sidestep seems to avoid manipulating people while they're asleep, claiming that it makes the mind unpredictable and dangerous. Is this the same for Hollow Ground? Is their power more likely to fail on a sleeping mind or have increased likelihood of a rebound?

Fail altogether. People can't hear you while asleep. It might feasibly work if HG keeps at it, one one of those "listen to this while sleeping to stop smoking" tapes. But that's a lot of time invested for little effect, and HG likes to avoid effort if they can help it.

Additionally, what does a telepathic rebound look like for Hollow Ground and how often have they experienced one?

I would say it's similar to a brutal migraine. It has happened a few times.

How did they test Ortega's powers after their initial modding surgery? Was the lightning always a part of it or was it just to make them stronger and faster at first?

It was just to make them stronger and faster at first, but the lightning was step two. It was included in the original blueprints as sort of an electrical touch, and then expanded upon.

Since “Mods, meet nanovores” can change Chen & Ortega’s outlook on the villain does that mean all the Rangers are aware it happened? If so did it have any effect on Argent & Herald’s?

It is something all Rangers would be aware of, but it doesn't affect Argent and Herald personally in the same way. To them it's just a gruesome killing.

Has Ortega alluded to Step's tinfoil past with Argent & Herald given they both give meaningful looks at Step when talking to Step about it? Or is it more that Ortega got more frantic since Step came back and they've noticed? 

I would say it is a combination of both. Ortega haven't revealed anything, but both Argent and Herald can read between the lines enough to know something's up.

Will finding out Step is a regene cause Ortega to ease off on their HG investigation?

Slightly, yeah. Less of an acute priority.

Will pupstuck steps be getting the Void flashback dreams (and the opportunity to set voideyes)?

Spoilers.

What do the Rangers sound like? If I remember right, Mortum is the only one (with their French accent/southern droll) that gets a voice description

I really don't know. I am very bad at voice descriptions or voice claims.

Have Vera or Ben been to any of Mortum's Halloween parties?

Yes, repeatedly.

When someone in the Farm's staff leaves the job, how closely are they monitored to make sure there are no potential leaks?

Very closely. But like many in high risk/secret occupations, few quit, and if they do, they often move into similar positions. The pay is good, and you're already security classed.

Has HG ever entertained the idea of creating a doppelganger HG and letting Ortega get them so that Ortega will finally stop pestering their organization?

No.

If our Villain wasn't causing so much trouble, would Chen have considered retirement? 

Not yet. He's got things to do first.

Does the Farm have any specialised equipment or procedures for cutting off a Re-Genes parts to surgically transfer to another? If it’s a common practice, especially for Re-Genes with tougher, more durable parts.

Not more than any other surgery/modding department.

What question would Argent or Herald ask if they were present in a truth game like the one in the snippet? (The one where everyone was asking the question they didn't want to answer.) 

I don't know! And it would probably vary a lot depending on the playthrough.

Theoretically, under extreme, immediate threat with a clear way to avoid said threat with telepathic interference, would sidestep's telepathy be able to overpower numbers or dampeners?

Yes. Sidestep is already pushing that limit with the help of the Rat King.

What is the specific reaction for the HG Trio to getting to know a low presentation, tunnel base Sidestep who is actually loaded with spare funds?

"Damn, you live like this?" -insert meme here-

Does Tia Elena know Sidestep is a telepath?

Yes.

In scenarios where HG considers Sidestep family what is their opinion on each of Sidestep's potential partners? 

That's a very long list, and I am not sure yet. That's a thing I need to write to figure out.

and would there be any conflict in the books over it? 

You bet, especially in some cases.

Does the fanclub include a significant number of Green Sky/Cult of the flesh members? 

I wouldn't say so.

Would you consider starting a Kickstarter for a Visual Novel remaster/remake once the series is complete?

I have no idea, but that would be a humungous undertaking that I know nothing about.

Maybe this has been asked before, but what were the major themes you wanted to explore for the original book? Do you feel like that story is still being told?

What would drive someone who started out trying to do good into actively doing bad instead. What trauma and alienation does to people. How GOOD it feels to just destroy things when you're hurting. Self destruction as collateral damage. And... yeah, mostly so. It's expanded a lot, so in some paths it is more diluted since Sidestep is different.

Unrelated question, has anyone (most likely Finch) suggested Sidestep try antidepressants or something? Would that kind of medication even affect them? I'm not sure how much of their telepathy is all 'woo, mysteries of consciousness' and how much is chemical make up. 

Oh yeah, antidepressants came up early, and was shot down by Sidestep. They don't want to be drugged.

Is Shroud happy in the work she does now or does she have other ambitions?

Shroud is not happy, period.