Author Answers (January) (Patreon)

General

What would the characters' names be if they were of the opposite sex?

Blade: Although I like to think of the name 'Blade' as unisex, I'll go with Steele for F!Blade (I keep thinking of Saticoy Steel if any of you know that unfairly obscure reference)

Trouble: I also like to think of Trouble as a unisex name, so I think she'd be Trouble either way, but I also like the name Elda for some reason!

Tallys: Tamar (the Tamar River is a somewhat mystical—although real—river said to be the “river of memories” in Elvish culture; bathing in it is said to allow you to experience the memories of others who have been in its waters)

Shery: I'm thinking Oliver or Lorence for some reason?

Riel: Artemis, Beatrix, or Minerva

Chase: Talia, Seraphina, or Fortuna 

Red: Alchemia or Althea

Ayla: Leo or Zepherin (Zeph for short)

Halek: Valha (Naolin would have been Dahlia) 

Briony: Rowan, Archer, or Hèrcol 

Lavinet: Florin

Hey there! so we had a bodyswap of the ROs with the MC but what about one only between the ROs ? (maybe using the randomizer that you used for the "ROs secret santa ask") how would they react? Thank you !

Your wish is my command, anon! I'm just going to skip all of the requisite "everyone freaks out, mass panic ensues, most people don't engage in shenanigans and instead focus on finding a cure" since that stuff's boring! [Mild NSFW content/innuendo below]

Blade wakes up as Lavinet. He's horrified. All the color drains from his face. What did he do to deserve this existence. He is VERY UNCOMFORTABLE in the body of this powdered, perfumed, round and womanly body. THE SKIRTS. THE HEELS. THEY ARE IMPRACTICAL. THE CORSETS. WHAT IS THIS. HOW DOES SHE WALK IN ANY OF THIS, LET ALONE FIGHT. ALL THIS TIME SHE'S BEEN STRAPPING A STILETTO UP THERE??? He leaves the ordeal with a tremendous amount of respect for Lavinet, but is too mortified by the entire situation to ever bring it up. Depending on how long they're stuck in each other's bodies, he may be too afraid to bathe as her and just sulks in the privacy of his (her) room all day, punching things and brooding. 

Trouble wakes up as Ayla. His first thought is, "Uhhh what the fuck?" His second thought is, "Hey, I have muscles and boobs!" His third thought is, "CAN I DO WIND MAGIC AND BLOW SHIT AROUND???" Which he can and he can't. Since magic relies on knowledge and concentration, he has Ayla's physical ability to do magic, but not her experience or actual spellcraft, meaning he has the control of essentially a Wind-Mage kindergartener. This is dangerous for all parties involved, because it's essentially like giving a drunk five-year-old the ability to control the wind. He quickly gets the hang of it after some instruction, though, and proceeds to annoy the living fuck out of everybody (most of all Ayla) by flying/floating around where he can and blowing puffs of wind into people's hair or blowing open windows just because he can. He is so preoccupied by all of this and enjoying himself immensely that he doesn't really worry about when he'll get his own body back. Someone will figure it out eventually.

Tallys wakes up as Halek. After the whole "Oh...... this is weird......" and resigned acceptance of the craziness that is her life after joining the Shepherds, she comes to terms with it surprisingly fast and mostly concentrates on finding a cure. However, she is extremely curious about the sensations of 1) being enormously tall and 2) having male anatomy. She takes liberal advantage of this first part and generally enjoys looming over people in the street or reaching tall shelves; she especially likes the experience of being able to walk around without people jeering or being creepy to her, since most people either don't take notice of Halek as all (since he exudes the energy of just being Some Dude) or are too intimidated by his size to give him any trouble. On the second count, if she were just in some random male body and not her friend's, she'd likely go out and bang someone just to see what it was like, but since that'd be weird, she refrains and just entertains her curiosities in private.

Shery wakes up as Briony. After all of the usual freaking out and wondering if she's ever going to get her old body back, Shery initially finds this to be a very fun and pleasant experience! She thinks of Briony as enviously pretty (ironically, Briony thinks the same of her) and she finds new confidence and enjoyment in walking around in what she views as a more charming, extroverted persona. Then you throw in the whole badass warrior factor and Shery's basically living a fantasy, one in which she's not mousy, bookish Shery, but friendly, popular, superstrong Briony! ...But then everyone realizes that Briony already has enough trouble controlling her sudden surges and bouts of superstrength, and Shery (who is already quite uncoordinated) in an unfamiliar body that can punch solid holes through walls and yeet entire trees like javelins is A GODDAMN MENACE. Everyone is terrified of her, and she soon becomes terrified of being in Briony's body, convinced that she's going to accidentally step on someone or laugh and push them teasingly and shove them straight through a wall. This becomes an extremely stressful and horrifying time for her, and pretty soon she's avoiding everyone or running away screaming, like "DON'T COME NEAR MEEEE!"

Riel wakes up as Tallys. Aside from his astral-projection horror at finding himself in another person's body, he soon takes to the whole thing as a fascinating experiment and keeps a journal of all of his observations and tests of his newfound abilities. He soon discovers the marvels of being able to effortlessly speak and understand multiple languages as well as the physical grace and adeptness of the Elves. He also becomes intoxicated with the possibility of living (practically) forever and is extremely bummed out when everyone ultimately switches back. He's almost reluctant to! Then he spirals into existential crisis afterwards and becomes quite morose/obsessed with becoming immortal... now that he's had a taste, it's hard to go back...

Chase wakes up as Mimir. HAVOC ENSUES. Chase immediately takes advantage of his newfound form and goes around giving fake prophecies to people just for shits and giggles. He perfects Mimir's unnerving, blank-eyed stare and gets himself into all sorts of shenanigans, like sneaking into a casino he's been banned from by telling the bouncer that he's going to get hit by an anvil if he keeps standing by the door (he adds his conman magic to add to the illusion). Since they've essentially switched brains, I don't think he would be receiving Mimir's pervasive visions in the same way that she does, so he'd probably be having a grand old time while he waits out the situation and finds out that Mimir has tons of pockets in her robes for him to hide stuff in!

Red wakes up as Blade. If Blade/Lavinet wasn't mad before, he definitely is now. Red himself is Mostly Fine while residing in Blade's body--this isn't the weirdest shit he's had to deal with when it comes to magic, he's even had to share his body with a spirit before--so he's mostly calm and cheerful and just himself (though very curious about arma and what that's like, and also a little unnerved about not being able to use magic). However, for everyone else, Red/Blade is almost as unnerving as Shery/Briony, if only because it's extremely weird for everyone else to see Blade walking around, smiling, animated, chatty, and liable to launch into a spirited and excited talk about the minutiae of an old essay he was reading before breakfast. Like, just picture Blade coming into the dining hall, smiling and waving at Pan and Neon, and saying something like, "Good morning, Riel. We on for chess later? Oh, Raven--I haven't gotten a chance to read that book you sent over yet, did you need it back soon? Thanks :)" or rubbing his neck and laughing sheepishly... IT'S WEIRD, RIGHT? So everybody hates it and like can't even look at Red, which makes him feel kind of left out! 😅

Ayla wakes up as Riel. This is pretty much a bummer for her because Riel's biggest assets essentially lie in his mind, so she's basically switched out her body for his scrawny one with no benefits, while he gets to learn how to see in the dark and Shery gets to snap things in half with her bare hands. But then she remembers, Oh! Money!!! He's rich!!! and gets to live in the lap of luxury while she stays in his mansion, bosses his servants around, and splurges on things with impunity. Mostly she treats herself to really fancy meals at the nicest restaurants (food she's never gotten to eat before) and lazes around, experiencing what it's like to be rich. (Riel predicted this would happen and set aside the money as a stipend to keep her occupied and distracted and not liable to get into way more troublesome things.) Eventually, however, she gets very bored and decides she hates the lap of luxury. Nothing ever happens! It sucks. But she's pacified enough not to rage about the injustice done to her in getting Riel's body!

Halek wakes up as Red. At first he's none too impressed--he went to sleep in a very tall dude's body with white hair and he woke up in a very tall dude's body with red hair, so it's really not that much of a different experience for him, lol. He's mostly annoyed by how long it takes to style Red's hair in the mornings and just shows up with it flat and combed, which startles everybody who didn't realize how much effort went into it and looks pretty ridiculous, also mortifying Red (who has taken to styling Blade's hair in what he thinks is a much neater and stylish way, but of course, everyone hates this too). Then he's like, "Oh yeah, I can do magic!" once Trouble figures it out, but since Traveling is extremely high-level stuff, he's forbidden from doing this and can only manage to light a candle flame by snapping his fingertips. He enjoys this for a while and then is like, "Okay I'm ready to go back to my body now!" Mostly he continues to take naps and chilling, it's just that he looks different while doing it! He does notice that Red's palate/taste buds/sense of smell are slightly different or weaker from his own, though!

Briony wakes up as Trouble. This launches her into hysterics. Just imagine being woken up by an ear-splitting scream and an "EWWWWWW!!!" when Briony discovers she's all hairy and manly and dude-y, and there's a... there's... IT is hanging between her legs! Now picture Trouble sniffling and crying with tears streaming down his face as he hiccups in a high-pitched voice, "Ho-how d-do I even SIT DOWN? 🥺😭" She is very upset by all of this and desperately wants to get back into her own body. She can't even take her pants off without shutting her eyes and doing it as fast as possible. It's not that she's unfamiliar with the male body, it's that she's inhabiting the body of the person she essentially considers to be her brother and it's weird. SHE DID NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT TROUBLE FEELS LIKE WHEN HE HAS TO SHAVE HIS FACE, OR USE THE BATHROOM, OR WAKE UP WITH MORNING WOOD. She hates it and wants to go home. 

Lavinet wakes up as Shery. She's not terribly perturbed by this (she's more upset that Blade is now inhabiting and controlling her body; does he not understand how he's hurting her reputation every time he scowls or glares at someone?? would it kill him to smile??) and more excited to give Shery (aka herself) the makeover she's always wanted! She basically does her makeup exactly as she always does, and from the elegant and confident way she carries herself, she's basically instantly recognizable as Lavinet in Shery's body, even to people who aren't familiar with the situation. Some people do a double-take, but then Shery opens her mouth and says in a very similar voice to Lavinet: "Darling, would you mind fetching me that paper?" and they just... respond to her as if she's Lavinet. So her existence really doesn't change much, though she's eager to get back to her own body soon!

Mimir wakes up as Chase. Since she's still receiving her visions, she really doesn't change at all... she's just... in Chase's body now. She might not even really notice. (Or, she does, but it's sort of a vague, "Oh, how did this happen? Is it being handled? Okay, I guess I'll just keep myself out of the way...") People keep wondering why they see Chase just sitting cross-legged in a tent in the courtyard, petting Dog and hunched over cups of dice and bones. Then they just think he's up to one of his schemes (like, "Ah! He wants me to go over and ask him what he's doing! So I shan't!") and then things just proceed as usual!

So Blade thinks of Trouble as his best friend, is the reverse true?

Does Chase click with Trouble the most?

Tallys? (Oh Tallys, you nature goddess who invariably dislikes me I still ly 💕)

I think Trouble's feelings about "best friends" are slightly more complicated (or maybe simpler?) than Blade's are. To Blade, his best friend is Trouble because Trouble is the one friend who's not only stuck with him the longest, but the friend who best understands him and whom Blade trusts the most: Trouble is his closest friend out of all the friends he has, AKA his best friend. I would go so far as to say that Blade considers Trouble to be his brother, especially since his relationship to his actual brother isn't all that great.

For Trouble, "best friends" are the people he'd take a bullet for, the people he considers family and trusts without question, the people he could spend endless amounts of time with without getting tired of them, and this covers a wide range of people, not just one single friend who he considers closer to him out of all the others. This is an attitude that's common with a lot of street kids who grow up in gangs and chosen networks of urchins who had to rely on each other to survive, so he doesn't really draw the distinction that Blade is his "best friend" and Chase is just a "close friend" who's not quite on the same level as his best friend. To him, they're all his best friends; his mind doesn't really separate them into categories or hierarchies.

But Trouble also feels that Blade is the brother he never had, and out of all of his friends, Trouble respects Blade the most, and in a way admires and defers to him in a way that he doesn't really do with anyone else. So yes, they both consider each other to be each other's best friends, but it's also a bit more complicated than that!

The same goes with Chase, who, as another city street-kid, doesn't really go in for the whole "you can only have one best friend"--he thinks of it more like his inner circle or his crew, and he generally views them all with equal affection and loyalty, even if he may spend more time with some over others (for example, he spends more time with Kato on a casual basis, but he would never say Kato is more of his friend or a better friend than Ari is). Working from that context, Chase clicks with Trouble the most because they have the most in common (both from similar orphan backgrounds, criminal histories, propensities for chaos and urban working class vibes) and because their personalities mesh well together: they're always up for adventures and egging each other on and are also very honest (almost to the point of shamelessness), so he does spend the most time with Trouble just hanging out. I would also say he clicks well with Red and to an extent Briony and Lavinet, but Trouble is the only one who is never exasperated by his antics and is always equally excited to do something dumb out of boredom or just go out for a night on the town, so they tend to be seen together a lot! Trouble is often the one that Chase has the most honest talks with, but that's only because Trouble is so stubborn and hard-headed that he refuses to drop a subject no matter how much someone deflects, so they've got that going for them, too! (This is also a trait that helps him with prying stuff out of Blade, even though it's like squeezing blood out of a rock.)

As for Tallys, she and Trouble are actually quite close, contrary to the appearances of Chapter 1, and they share a sibling-type relationship where they often bicker, but they trust each other immensely and have a familial kind of affection towards one another. However, I think the one Tallys is truly fond of is Shery because of her calm and sweet demeanor, and they spend the most time together and Tallys has a mothering, protective instinct towards Shery moreso than with other people; but I think Tallys feels a special connection to all of the "Founding Four" and is more wary of newcomers, at least at first. Out of all the Shepherds, I'd say she "clicks" most with Halek or Riel in terms of personality, but spends the most time with and confides the most in Shery!

First off just wanted to say how much I adore your game!!

A little late but I was curious, if MC continues to have nightmares, do they ever lash out with their magic in their sleep? Maybe no reactions like on the scale of the chapter 3 one, but like knocking things off the shelf?

If so how would the ROs react? Or if not, how did the ROs react in private when they heard about the chapter 3 incident?

Hi there, thank you for your kind words and question! It's actually extremely rare for adult Mages to lash out with their magic in their sleep; magic usually requires some measure of conscious, concentrated effort, which is pretty difficult to achieve in sleep, so it's not really a common response to nightmares unless 1) one has a sleeping or sleepwalking disorder or 2) one is a child (even then, it's not all that common with children, but children who demonstrate this propensity are sent to Mage school early to get their powers under control or are given sleeping draughts to prevent nightmares). The more likely scenario is that a Mage would be jolted out of sleep by their nightmare and would react to some perceived presence in their room--like snapping out of a nightmare and throwing a knife at a perceived intruder while in the heightened state of fear, without even realizing they're doing it, rather than thrashing around in their sleep and their magic getting out of control then. I hope that makes sense!

As for how the ROs reacted when they heard about the Chapter 3 incident, that was answered here! And in case you're curious, here's how they would react to MC having a nightmare if they were there to comfort them!

How would the Shepherds react to a MC who was physically affectionate, both as friends and in the crushing stage?

This has been answered in various forms, including here, here, here, and here! To be more explicit:

Blade: he's fine with a friend!MC who's physically affectionate, to an extent. They have to be very close, and the extent of the physical affection matters greatly. He is good with playful nudges, hip bumps, linking arms, or that kind of thing, but he's not okay with things like noogies or just like jumping on or glomming onto him, especially unsolicited. As a friend, he doesn't initiate a lot of physical touch himself, but he usually tolerates it from a close friend unless it's really egregious or obnoxious, in which case he really doesn't like it.

Trouble: he's extremely physically affectionate and resonates incredibly well with a friend!MC who returns that energy! He would be kind of uncomfortable or off-put by a friend!MC who didn't like physical affection, and one who did would be very compatible with him!

Tallys: she's quite physically affectionate to very close friends, like casually holding hands or linking arms or snuggling, so she would appreciate this in a friend as well!

Shery: she would be a bit shy with a physically affectionate friend, but very happy and pleased at the same time! She has trouble initiating physical contact at first, but she really loves receiving it and it makes her very happy!

Riel: with friends, he's not a big fan of physical, touchy-feely affection and is quite awkward about it... like, a handshake from him is an intimate gesture of friendship. He's not really a hugger or a cuddler or anything like that, and expecting it from him is fundamentally not understanding him as a person. He's okay with certain types of physical affection, like linking arms, pats on the shoulder or the back, encouraging squeezes or things like that, and he may even come to allow or enjoy hugging (it would be REALLY awkward at first, though), but please don't crowd him, roughhouse with him, get up in his space and jostle him, rub his shoulders or do anything like that. He likes his physical space!

Chase: he's not as physically affectionate in a platonic way as Trouble or Briony are, but he's happy to go along with it if friend!MC is! He's actually not interested in, like, friend-cuddling or holding hands or anything like that unless it's also in a flirtatious way, so it's not something he does with just friends, but he's pretty cool with most other forms of physical affection and easily returns it. When he initiates it, it's usually nudges or elbowing or pats or pinches, chucking you gently on the chin, that kind of thing!

Red: I'd say he's pretty normal about platonic physical affection: he's very comfortable with it and will often casually walk arm-in-arm with friends or be perfectly happy hugging them as a greeting, etc. He'd appreciate an MC who was the same way, even if they were more extreme with their affection!

Ayla: she'd act like she didn't like physical affection from a friend!MC, scowling and rolling her eyes and playfully pushing them off, but she'd secretly like it! She may not be the type to be super cuddly right off the bat, but they could reach a point where she'd casually and unconsciously show physical affection back, like ruffling their hair or slinging an arm around their waist or shoulders, that kind of thing! She wouldn't really be a hugger, but she'd show her affection in other ways!

Briony: she loves physical affection, is extremely physically affectionate, and would love to have a friend who was the same way! They'd be inseparable best friends!

Lavinet: she also loves physical affection, especially among girl friends, and is more likely to be physically affectionate with gals than with male friends. She might interpret physical affection from a guy as more than platonic overtures, but otherwise, she'd be receptive to and grateful for physical affection from a friend!MC!

All of the ROs would be fine and happy with a partner/crush who was physically affectionate!

Do you think our Norm Ros would catch onto an MC that wasn’t fond of norms but treated fellow diminished very well? Would any of them lose romantic feelings due to this discovery, would they confront MC?

I guess this depends on the extent of the discrimination that MC employed against Norms? There'd be a difference if MC was wary around Norms or held them more at arm's length, especially due to specific traumas, or if MC was outright cold/mean/hostile to Norm folks and very kind and friendly to Diminished. I would think knowing MC hated their kind would make any Norm RO less interested in pursuing a relationship with them; it'd be hard to imagine that they'd be interested in the first place, if MC treated them worse than their Diminished companions! But if it was more a matter of heightened wariness, like in Tallys's case, and not really stark and clear discrimination, I think Trouble would be more understanding (but possibly less likely to develop strong feelings), Shery would be compassionate and understanding and would work to help MC be more comfortable, Riel would likely never be interested in the first place, Chase would also likely never be interested in the first place, and Lavinet would either be too intimidated and put off to attempt friendship, or stubborn and defiant and determined to be friends, though it's highly unlikely she would develop romantic feelings!

What is equality like in Blest in terms of gender and sexuality both before and after the castigation ? I ask this because the short stories imply that Lavinet being a chevalier is unusual and Riel seems to keep his sexuality secret for more than personal privacy.

[Warning: the below discusses discrimination, sexism, and homophobia.]

I actually go into detail about why Lavinet being a member of the Order of the Rose and her military-training is considered unusual here! 

To make a long story short, before and after the Castigation, the Gifted/Diminished races were and are fairly liberal and progressive when it comes to gender and sexuality, at least in a professional sense. There are definitely still some stereotypes and sexist ideas (like the belief that Elven men are more geared towards the sword whereas Elven women are better-suited for the bow and knife, etc.), but generally, their societies almost never bar positions according to gender: Ket soldiers are comprised equally of all genders, Elven knights the same way, Archmages are never thought to be just a masculine position, wages are not based on gender, and etc. etc. Similarly, before and after the Castigation, ideas about sexuality among most Diminished races and cultures are very open-minded: no one would bat an eye at a relationship between two men, polyamory isn't seen as unusual, all types of relationships and loves are embraced and celebrated, et cetera.

Norm beliefs were more diverse before the Castigation, partially because they were so widely dispersed over large swathes of land: in the Jalis territories, ideas and attitudes used to be very sexist before the Castigation, but discrimination based on sexuality was entirely unheard of. In the Western kingdoms (stretching from Brunen, Orlop, Kinley, Leyholm, and Lindell), attitudes were more conservative, but still more progressive than many of the Norm beliefs of today. Ladies were treated as the timid, fairer sex who were expected to practice gentle arts; professions like laundresses, cooks, servants, and bartenders were occupied primarily by women; more importance was placed on the "traditional" nuclear family; and nuns and convents were totally a thing. But there were also breakthroughs being made, like women becoming knights and military commanders, politicians and nobles and powerful rulers were often women, and sexuality wasn't really a huge concern (many Norm kings and queens were very open and free with their sexualities).

After the Castigation and the establishment of the Church, however, things changed drastically among the Norms; their society became much more strict and conservative, and in the 200 years since the Castigation, the religious strictures and beliefs of the Autarchy and the Church have become deeply embedded in their idealogical framework and culture. A lot of emphasis is placed on a societal duty to produce more children, particularly among the upper class and nobility, since one of the reasons the Autarchy triumphed was because of the Norms' superior numbers and their ability to keep the other races in check through a quick and numerous birthrate: there's some famous statistic about how a Norm family can produce like ten children to an Elf family's one, and that has been elevated as a very, very good and desirable thing, a tenet of Norm society itself. The teachings of the Church and Autarchy stress that "good Norm families and citizens" produce more children, kind of as a civic duty; it's their future and the strength of their empire. This is especially true of the aristocracy, who are generally obsessed with maintaining and continuing the "purity" of their bloodlines, which stretch back to before the Castigation and are what tethers them to the Autarch: many of the nobles who are in power today are only there because they're blood-related to the inner circle of the first Autarch, who granted their ancestors and all of their descendants wealth and influence on that basis--so if their bloodlines end or become "diluted", so too does that long and unbroken chain of history and power.

All of this is a long-winded way of saying that there's a lot of external, cultural, and social pressure on Norm people in power to marry and have children. It's not really something that factors into the working class as much, especially in urban metropolises, and many city-dwellers and common folk aren't even really aware of it as a thing (for example, Trouble's never thought that having a boyfriend is unusual in his life), but to the wealthy and powerful, heterosexual marriages are definitely encouraged and stressed. Being gay is not an automatic black mark, and to an extent, extramarital and/or same-sex lovers are pretty much accepted and embraced as "everyone knows this is what's going on and it's not a big deal or is politely ignored, like yes, you'll marry that person and have your lover on the side, this is how it's done;" but refusing to marry on that basis can be considered a disappointment to the family or a "lost opportunity" for more prestige and power. It's not an outright scandal or life-ruiner, but it's not a cause for celebration, either. So definitely homophobia going on in the ranks of the Autarchy's upper class, though not outright persecution or anything like exile. 

For Riel, he plays his cards close to the chest because he likes occupying a position of power and advantage, and so long as people think that marrying him into their family or that he's an available candidate is a possibility, and the idea of that possibility in some way presents him with opportunities he can exploit, he's going to keep that information to himself for as long as he wants. It won't damage his reputation; he just likes holding all of the cards. He's also just an intensely private person, too!

If we were to peek into the RO’s quiet moments alone doing some mundane task (paperwork, folding clothes, maintaining weapons), what would it look like? Sit in the quiet, hum to themselves, jiggle their leg…intensely focused on the task or daydreaming? Etc etc. Would this demeanor change if someone were to sit with them?

Blade: he tends to be disquietingly still and silent, even when he's alone; it's sort of a Ket thing and recognizable in a lot of his people! When he's doing something that requires a lot of concentration or is causing a headache, like difficult paperwork, he tends to furrow his brow or pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation or sigh through his nose, but otherwise, he's usually dead quiet. This doesn't change whether he's alone or with someone else!

Trouble: he's quite loud even when he's doing something quiet, so he's whistle, mutter or curse under his breath, rustle or slam things around, mumble to himself, jiggle his leg, etc. It's very rare that he goes really still, but he also rarely daydreams, unless he's taking a break and smoking! He just gets really into whatever he's doing and doesn't realize that he's making noises. If someone's sitting with him, he usually makes an effort to be quieter and not obnoxious; it depends on what they're doing!

Tallys: she's usually outwardly quiet and calm, though sometimes she'll sing or hum to herself (but strictly only does this when she's alone). She adamantly does not do it when she's around other people! Most of the time, her hands are moving automatically, but she's actually far away in thought, usually daydreaming or thinking of something else she needs to do or reviewing some aspect of her day! She usually has to be shaken out of her reverie and is usually quite spacey in those moments!

Shery: it depends on what she's doing! Sometimes she just starts staring out of a window or putting her chin in hand and daydreaming; other times she's humming cheerfully to herself, bobbing her head, tapping her head, and generally bustling, if that makes any sense!

Riel: he abhors when other people do things like tap their pens, jiggle their legs, or are generally distracting, so he doesn't do this himself, whether he's alone or with someone else. Mostly he's just writing FURIOUSLY, so that his pen is like flying across the page. But when he's doing other mundane tasks, he's quiet and still, though he'll take a break to scribble down some note in his little notepad intermittently (because he's always inevitably thinking of like 5 things at once).

Chase: this dude couldn't sit still if you literally pointed a gun at him. He's kind of like a cat, getting into everything; even when he's talking, he's ambling around the room, picking things up, holding them up to the light, adjusting things, testing drawers, just... moseying. Or he'll be slouching into the couch, rearranging himself like he's made of liquid, kicking his legs in the air or spinning around in a chair while looking at the ceiling. Or shadow-boxing, bouncing on his heels, jiggling his leg. Pretty much anytime he's alone and in silence, his brain goes AHHHHH BORED and he immediately has to get up and do something else. This is why his paperwork never gets done :) He can handle doing something tactile like practicing his lockpicking or maintaining his guns, but he prefers to do it in an area where he's around people and noise and stuff going on, not alone in his room!

Red: when he's doing mundane, mindless things like folding laundry or cleaning, he'll usually talk quietly to himself under his breath. Sometimes he whistles, hums, or sing-mumbles and sometimes snaps his fingers and does a little spin dance-move or a shimmy to add a little spice in his routine. He doesn't do this when other people are around, though! If he's with someone, he'll make conversation with them instead. He's a talker!

Ayla: it depends on what she's doing, but sometimes she whisper-sings to herself and like headbangs, or she shadow-boxes and punches and kicks the air to amp herself up, like YEAH!!! you ROCK!!! This is rare, though, and only happens when she's alone. Otherwise, she often jiggles her leg or spins around in her chair, fidgets, and generally doesn't sit still. 

Briony: most often, she kicks her feet, like when she's sitting on the edge of her chair doing paper work or sitting on a wall polishing her sword. Often, she hums a cheerful, off-key little tune, bobs her head, or sometimes throws her head back and belts out a lyric. Other times, she puts her chin in her hand, starts twirling a strand of her bangs, and just straight up zones-out into a daydream. She rarely sits still!

Lavinet: she's usually quite poised and still; she definitely doesn't hum or talk to herself--it would be uncouth! When doing paperwork, she often sketches or doodles to herself while she thinks about what she wants to write next, but other than that, she's not a very fidgety person!

Hiii, can we have more information about how Halek act in a relationship once he gets together with MC? His love languages as well? Thank you so much <3

Halek's primary love languages are acts of service and quality time. His most precious ways of bonding with his lover are just being with each other, even in silence, and enjoying each other's company, whether that means eating a meal together, watching a play, or looking up at the clouds. He also expresses his love through acts of service, silently making them a meal when they've had a hard day, doing their laundry for them when they're busy without being asked, fixing their creaky bed before they come home from their long trip, etc., usually without outright stating that he's done it. He's also very physically affectionate and quite clingy, especially in the earlier stages of their relationship, constantly wrapping himself around them, hugging them from behind, nuzzling them, or holding them in bed and playing with their hair. He gets a bit sulky and pouty when they don't get to spend time together and has a slightly childish, needy side. He rarely loses his temper or gets annoyed in a relationship and is usually infinitely patient, but he also enjoys teasing his partner and provoking them, which is a more playful, slightly arrogant/smug/obnoxious side that he doesn't really show many people! He smirks and is a little bit of a shithead as a way of being flirtatious!

lets expend the modern!AU (university maybe?) : what would other characters be doing, who would they be? like clara, pendric, thieves guild members, elementals (why not), the autarch, Asseron and Assolde (lmao),..

If we're continuing the modern!AU or university!AU ideas... 

Clara: she'd be a student at a different university from the main gang, like if they're at... idk, a Stanford or a Yale or a U Chicago, she's at like a Notre Dame or an Oberlin or a Vassar?? She Facetimes with Lavinet frequently, since they're close childhood friends, and is pursuing a degree in English literature. 

Pendric: Clara's boyfriend and high school sweetheart; they're attending the same school! He's part of a fraternity and plays either lacrosse or water polo. Definitely comes from a preppy family and dresses and acts like one. He's majoring in business and finance and is planning to propose to Clara once they graduate!

Ari: she doesn't attend college and is part of like a motorcycle (or thief) gang that Chase moonlights with in secret. She's a tough badass in a leather jacket who didn't think Chase had the chops to run with them, coming from a preppy family of his own, but he usually pushes the gang to pursue bigger and more daring heists, which impresses her. By day she works as a docent at an art gallery and is good at putting on fine airs to fool others. She wants to get into art forgeries someday and is an extremely talented graffiti artist, becoming known across the city for her various tags and murals. She acts like she's happy with her life, but secretly envies those who have the opportunity to lead carefree student lives. 

Kato: also a part of the motorcycle/thief gang, he works part-time at the coffee shop that Halek, Briony, and Shery work at to make ends meet and support his mother and their small apartment. He's also taking night classes at the local community college, hoping to eventually go into nursing or elder care. He can play guitar and has a great singing voice, but is too shy to perform in front of others!

Angant Hainn: I feel like he'd be the abrupt, brusque, scowling professor on campus that is widely considered to be extremely hot and desirable by many of the students. He just wants to be left alone so he can study... thermal dynamics... but the stupid school makes him teach stupid swooning freshmen and he's really mad at it and his classes have a really high fail rate

The Autarch: definitely the absent and semi-corrupt dean of the school. All of the people she hired, like Edric Alden and her sons, who are deans of various colleges or head of departments like the faculty department or student affairs, are all objectively terrible. 

Auberon and Isolde: definitely the presidents of the meanest and most exclusive sorority/fraternity on campus. They socialize in the same circles as Lavinet, Prihine, and Moonsilk, were prom king and queen of their high school, and definitely loathe each other but stay together because of their families' status and influence. Auberon probably gets into trouble for hazing but is pardoned by the corrupt administration at Haven U and the fact that his family makes a lot of donations to the university!

Spoilers

Soooo I'm loving Chapter 7 big time. Can u tell us a very general hint/summary of what's happening in chapter 8?

Hi, this was actually asked and answered in last month's Q&A (under the spoiler section)! If you want even more of a hint [heavy spoilers], Croelle features heavily in Chapter 8, and Chapter 8 is also tied heavily to stuff that happened in Chapter 2!

Spoilery question, for an MC who saved Lockwood with a word of power, how would Lavinet's father, sisters, Clara, Pendric and the nobles react to Lavinet making it known she's dating the Hero of Haven? I imagine Lord Lockwood is like "he's diminished but he did save my town and my people, urrggh"

Clara, Pendric, and Lavinet's sisters would be delighted if Lavinet got together with the person who essentially saved their entire city, and Clara and Pendric were definitely low-key shipping them probably from the start or ever since Lavinet decided to join the Shepherds! They would be unreservedly supportive and happy for Lavinet, and her sisters would especially think it was insanely badass of her to find true love with the Hero of Haven. I think the nobles who were there, like Lady Summerfield and other allies, would generally be hesitantly supportive, because they like and respect MC, but they'd also be a bit hesitant and definitely shocked, because it's still a scandal and the rules and culture bred into them from birth are very hard to ignore. They wouldn't be super against it, and to Lavinet's face they would be supportive, but it would definitely still be a shock! Auberon and Isolde and other Unpleasants in their faction would definitely still seize the opportunity to denigrate Lavinet and cast scandal on her name for essentially dating a common soldier, no matter what their impressive deeds.

Lord Lockwood would be pretty mad about it at first, but it really depends on what MC's relationship to him is like! If they were rude to him from the get-go and etc. or got caught spiriting Lavinet away against his orders, he'd never truly approve and would definitely try to put a stop to the relationship (even if they did save Lockwood). If they're on good terms, he'd still be disgruntled and upset that his daughter is essentially throwing her reputation and legacy away on a common person, but he'd also be reluctantly somewhat accepting or approving, if he didn't voice it right away. He wouldn't be as angry, is what I'm saying! But it depends on how MC came off during their stay in Lockwood, not just their final decisions regarding the Landsmeet!

Can we learn more about Chase's serious relationship 👀

Who were they, how did they get together, etc.

I'd prefer to remain a bit vague about this relationship, since this is a big part of Chase's storyline in the game! But it might be useful to know that this character/relationship was created right here on Patreon: her name and gender were decided by Patrons, and you can actually read all about their relationship (both how it started and how it ended) in Chase's short stories, The Lady and the Tiger and Nine Lives!

What I can say: her name was Saya, and she was a thief (a cat burglar, to be precise, specializing in breaking and entering). They met during a phase in Chase's life when he was essentially a drifter: he'd abandoned the corsair's life as well as his career as a professional assassin, having felt that the people involved in both of those areas had either neglected him, let him down, or taken advantage of and betrayed him. The timeline is a bit fuzzy, but essentially, his father was a corsair captain and generally a hard, unforgiving man who never showed Chase an ounce of affection. After he died, Chase wound up back on land with no prospects and no real way to build a future or ply his skills--he really only knew how to sail, having been taken out of the orphanage by his father to do that very thing as a young child, and he didn't want to do that anymore, so he was sort of left helpless and vulnerable and alone. Now a teenager, he eventually fell in to the service of a powerful ganglord in Conte, who trained him and put him to use as the man's personal assassin, finding that Chase's youth and agility made him a perfect weapon against unsuspecting rivals who would never foresee a youth slipping a knife between their ribs. Through Chase, the man held a reign of terror over the city for several years, and they shared something of a paternal relationship; Chase, desperate for any form of familial affection and approval, basically only lived to please the ganglord, though over time, he began to realize that the man's warmth and regard were fleeting and mercurial, more used as a way to manipulate and control him rather than genuine respect or love. He eventually realized he was just a tool in the man's arsenal, as disposable as any other, and asked for his freedom from the ganglord's service, ultimately finding his existence in the man's household hollow and disturbing. The ganglord refused, continued forcing Chase to kill in his name, and the relationship between them deteriorated drastically. Circumstances became so unbearable and brutal, and Chase eventually felt so caged and leashed, that he ultimately killed the ganglord in a bid for freedom and fled Conte.

After that, he tried to go back to the sea, but a mutiny aboard his ship scuttled him onto land again, so he drifted aimlessly afterwards, taking up mercenary jobs here and there to keep himself fed and clothed. Eventually, he wound up in Haven and took on a job that went very badly--a job that ended with him half-dead in an alleyway in a burning neighborhood with his enemies closing in from every side. Saya, a thief that he'd encountered in passing during the job, ultimately swooped in and saved him from certain death, dragging him out of the flames and back to her hideout at the Thieves Guild. This is how Chase ended up becoming a thief in the Guild, and, of course, this is how he ended up meeting Saya and falling in love with her!

Oooo, what's the story with Briony's 1.5 serious relationship (or any others you care to share)? Any scrap of her pre-amnesia life is always great!

I'll leave the details of her most recent serious relationship vague for now, since it comes up in the main story; however, as with Chase, you can read all about it in her short story, Blood Ties!

I can go into more detail about the other adult relationship that accounts for... half of the 1.5, since it's not as relevant to the present-day story and likely won't get brought up. There was a stint in Briony's pre-amnesia life where she essentially ran away from home (though she would have preferred the more mature term of "deserting") to join rebel forces who were forming guerilla strike teams against a neighboring warlord (the entire territory that she was from was frequently embroiled in several civil wars). During this period of time, she was assigned to be part of an elite squadron of rebel fighters, and she eventually had a working relationship/secret hookup thing going on with the captain of her squad, who was about ten years older than her. It was an intense and passionate affair, but kept a secret from the other soldiers (both because of the improper captain-subordinate relationship, the fact that they were in the middle of a war zone and sneaking off to have sex would have been frowned upon, the age gap, and the class gap), and the relationship was labeled by both parties as just a way of clandestinely blowing off steam, as was fairly common for soldiers where Briony comes from; but the feelings also began to cross the FWB boundary into something more dangerous, which means she was in a sort-of (really weird and really secret) psuedo-relationship for about a year. Like, they were hooking up and essentially secretly dating, except no one knew it but them and they were always in fear of getting caught, and they were trying very hard to keep it physical and with no feelings involved, but both knew they were ultimately failing, which was troubling for both of them. Ultimately Briony broke things off when she sensed things were getting way too complicated, and she was reassigned to a different squad and then found and forced home shortly afterward. She never saw that captain again, and they parted on abrupt, sad terms, though of course she doesn't remember this! Pre-amnesia Briony would have insisted that she wasn't ever in love with said captain, and a relationship would never work between them even without all of the complicating circumstances, but there were feelings there that were more intense than just a FWB relationship!

I was just wondering if Jinn was still alive? What happened to her? Please ignore this if it's really spoilery or already in the story.

(This is in reference to Ayla's short story, Chance of Rain.) Jinn is still alive! I don't know definitively what happened to her; in my "happy" headcanon, she ultimately reunites with her father in Havi. Her family are the same date merchants who hired Ayla at the beginning of the story, though, sadly, this would mean her brother Junn is dead. However, Ayla pointing Jinn towards them and reuniting them would sort of be her penance for that? So Jinn ultimately found her father and mother, and they're okay and alive and together!

In the "realistic" headcanon, it's probably more likely that she didn't find them, or went elsewhere, maybe south to Leyholm to live near the coast, where no one would ever bother her over her water magic again and she could practice and train in safety. She disappeared and became a nameless face there, grew up and grew stronger in her arts and probably fell in love! Either way, she is definitely alive somewhere out there!

Can we get a little more info on Croelle's weapon, now that he's got a fancy new one? 👀 Did he find it somewhere? Or did he have it made for him? How does he use it, generally? And how do people, opponents or bystanders, usually react to it?

Croelle's whip-sword was [BIG SPOILERS HERE, READ HIS SHORT STORY FIRST BEFORE PROCEEDING] forged for him by his father, if you take my meaning! So it's a pretty nasty but extremely effective weapon, enchanted to respond to his will and magic almost like a striking snake, able to extend itself and move in impossible ways, almost like it's alive when it's in his hands! It can be as flexible and malleable as a chain with many links, or it can be as rigid and sharp as a wicked saber, it's all governed seamlessly by his will! Croelle hates his father and everything surrounding... that, but he does love his whip-sword. Uniquely, any pain or blood caused by the sword directly feeds Croelle and his dark magic; such is the bond between master and sword! 

Croelle almost never draws the weapon in public (like has not done so in at least the last decade), so few people ever get a chance to see it, but when they do, it's quite evident that the thing is fueled by magic, which draws a lot of attention. The only time he really uses it is during torture sessions he's ordered to perform or for intimidation purposes, which is rare. So he doesn't get much use out of it nowadays, but when he does, he's a holy terror with it!

NSFW

Who's the best at giving oral among the ROs?

I actually answered this here, but here are some revisions! It's probably (definitely) Chase--he has something of a reputation for it among his former lovers and prides himself on his "wicked tongue"! But none of them are bad at it, if given enough opportunity to practice; I'd say Tallys and Halek are the clear runners-up, with Red, Blade, and Lavinet as strong talents; Trouble and Briony get special points for enthusiasm, while Riel, Shery, and Ayla prefer other methods of giving pleasure!

Say the ro's are given the chance to form a contract with a demon (you can imagine an au if you wish) where they get to experience mindblowing pleasure and sex whenever they want it for a year, and the demon gets to feed on their life force in exchange. Not enough to kill them, but enough they feel tired and weaker over time. Who would take the deal?

And what if the price wasn't their life force, but their ability to feel love? (Sorry if this is long)

What an interesting question! If it was the first-case scenario, where the demon just gets to feed on their life force for a year and then leaves:

Blade: not interested in the least.

Trouble: mildly interested for like a second but ultimately is like "nah I'm good, thanks for the offer though!"

Tallys: extremely tempted, it sort of depends on where she is in life. If she's in a particularly rebellious, self-destructive, or horny phase in her life, she might very well take it, or she might take the prudent or suspicious course and refuse to deal with a demon. Just depends on what's going on in her life at that moment!

Shery: EXTREMELY tempted, but ultimately too afraid of consequences to give in to the temptation!

Riel: not interested in the sex at all, but mildly interested in doing it for experimentation and research purposes. Ultimately graciously declines, but it's not out of the question that he'd bargain with the demon for something more desirable for himself, like wealth or power!

Chase: takes the deal with very little hesitation. YOLO!

Red: takes the deal "for academic reasons" and curiosity's sake! The mind-blowing sex is just a bonus!

Ayla: I'd give it to her 70/30, she is very likely to be like "no thanks, fuck off" for even offering it, but in a lonelier or less fulfilling part of her life, she could eventually be cajoled or persuaded into it if the demon was trying really hard!

Briony: I think she'd be a little tempted or curious, but also initially hesitant or reluctant. I'd say there's a high probability that she'd decline, but I also know she's 1) very impulsive and 2) quite impressionable or easily influenced, so she can be easily swayed if her guard is down, but can also be extremely stubborn if her guard is up or if she's dealing with a perceived enemy... it kind of depends on how demonic the demon seems, the circumstances of their meeting, and if this AU has any prejudice towards demons the way Blest does! I'll say 60/40 chance that she turns down the deal, but I wouldn't be surprised if she got seduced into it!

Lavinet: she'd be admittedly quite tempted, but would ultimately firmly decline!

As for if the deal was to take away their ability to feel love, I don't think anybody would take it unless the demon got to them at their most vulnerable, broken, emotionally-ruined moments: in that case possibly Ayla, Chase, or Tallys might fall for it, but they wouldn't be in their right minds if they agreed, as it would literally have to be during their lowest and most reckless points!

NSFW question:

If mc wanted to tie up their RO while in bed who would be into it and who didn’t enjoy it as much?

I'm pretty sure this has been answered before, and I also encourage anyone curious to go through past Q&As, since they go in-depth about each RO's NSFW tendencies and inclinations, including how they feel about certain kinks and fetishes! But here it is in case I haven't written it out as a list:

Blade: he'd try it for MC's sake, but it wouldn't really do much for him beyond the novelty of the first two or three times

Trouble: he'd be into it!

Tallys: she'd be into it, but she'd likely prefer to be the one doing the tying up

Shery: it would take quite a while to warm her up to the idea, but she'd be really into it once they got started!

Riel: I really go back and forth with this man. Is he a bottom? Is he a top? I don't think he's a verse, because he's consistent and adamant in all things, so he's likely just one or the other, but I never know which one. At this current point in time, I'd say he'd be fine with being tied up but would probably prefer to be the one doing the tying!

Chase: he'd definitely be into it, but he'd want equal or more time doing the tying!

Red: I don't think he'd be very into it, but he'd be willing to give it the good old college try!

Ayla: she'd HATE it. This is a big no-no for her!

Briony: she'd be quite into it and would enjoy it a lot!

Lavinet: she'd enjoy it a lot, but things would have to build up to it; it wouldn't be something she was comfortable with trying right away, not until she and MC were very sexually experienced with one another! But once she got to that point, she'd really love it!

NSFW: Who would be into biting or being bitten?

Blade: it's likely that he'd bite or give his lover a hickey during a moment of intense passion (such as a particularly powerful climax). In general, he'd enjoy biting or being bitten, especially as a way of being teased!

Trouble: he's not generally a biter, but he wouldn't be opposed to receiving lots of love bites, especially during the throes of passion!

Tallys: she's a biter in a certain mood, particularly a punishing or angry toppy kind of way; she's okay with hickeys and the like in the heat of the moment, but doesn't really crave them!

Shery: she's adamantly not a biter, but wouldn't mind receiving hickeys or love-bites all over, especially on sensitive areas like her thighs or breasts!

Riel: he enjoys biting or being bitten during certain moods, like during dirty hot sweaty sex, though doesn't really expect it during the course of "normal" lovemaking!

Chase: he's more of a fan of playful nips or little nibbles or quick reprimands, but he is very much a biter in that sense!

Red: he's pretty much indifferent on the subject of biting or being bitten--if that's what his partner's into, he's happy to oblige, but it's not really anything that occurs to him in the normal course of his life!

Ayla: she can be a biter, especially during angry, heated sex or roleplay!

Briony: she's not generally a biter, but receiving a well-placed bite, especially on a sensitive area like her neck, can be enough to tip her over the edge in the right scenario!

Lavinet: she would not enjoy biting or being bitten really at all, but there'd be something lewd and lascivious about hickeys that she'd find intriguing. Ultimately it would be more of the novelty that was appealing to her rather than the sensation, but she wouldn't mind hickeys as much!