Author Answers (March) (Patreon)

General

Hello Lena!! I hope this is done correctly:D First of all, I absolutely adore SHOH and I'm so fond of Riel and Shery, I love them to death!!🥺

Now onto the question; if the Shepherds were to live in this world what would be their absolute favorite books, authors and genres? (Yes, I will allow Mangas and Comics bc I know some characters might be more into these lmao:D)

Hi anon, thank you so much for the interesting question and for the kind words! I'm so glad you love Riel and Shery! 💕

And this is a great question! I may have to revise down the road, as I'm sure more and more books and authors will come to me after the fact, but let's give it a try:

Blade: I don't really know the name for this genre, but something like philosophy or treatise/manuals? Basically he'd like more "instructional" books like The Art of War, The Analects, The Art of Peace, The Book of Five Rings, The Prince, and other similar works. I guess nonfiction mixed with philosophy would be the better term for it?

Trouble: I imagine him being into classic detective novelists like Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) as well as classic adventure novels of the kind written by HG Wells, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or War of the Worlds. 

Tallys: poetry. She'd especially love more historical poets, ranging from the Romantics like Colesworth and Shelley to the Transcendentalists like Walt Whitman and Emerson, as well as poets like Rumi!

Shery: historical romance. She'd love the classics like Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Jane Eyre, but also more modern takes like Bridgerton or Outlander!

Riel: memoir and nonfiction. He'd enjoy reading the thoughts and perspectives of great historical figures--a few select favorites would include De Profundis by Oscar Wilde, the writings of Plutarch and various ancient figures like Marcus Aurelius, Plato and Aristotle, Napoleon, and more.

Chase: I don't think he'd be a big reader, but if there were books he was inclined to remember, they'd probably be the modern thrillers/mysteries, of the kind written by John Grisham, Dean Koontz, Nora Roberts, etc.! He'd enjoy those juicy plot-twisty, nail-biting books like Gone Girl or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 

Red: science fiction. He'd be fascinated by all of the ideas and visions of the future present in science fiction and would love works from Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick, Ursula K. Leguin, and others, as well as more modern writers like Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, CJ Cherryh, and more!

Ayla: manga and comics. I'm glad you gave this as an option, as I think that's what she'd like! She'd probably be into more shounen offerings like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Demon Slayer, but would secretly enjoy some slice-of-life romance stuff too!

Briony: fantasy, especially of the cozier variety. Diana Wynne Jones, Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley, Naomi Novik, Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, and classics like Narnia, LOTR, and Redwall would all be up her alley!

Lavinet: contemporary or urban romance. I think she'd lean more towards "realistic" romance, maybe of the Jodi Picoult variety, like rival lawyers or more Gossip Girl-y dark academia stuff; but she'd secretly dig that urban fantasy romance on the down-low, too, like Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter or Kushiel's Dart!

are there any other countries or political organisations with the necessary power to challenge the Autarchy?

Kind of sort of! Right now, the most powerful threats to the Autarchy's power are the Southern Isles (who are independently ruled and considered separate nations), the northern cities (particularly Karzai and Luxue), and the far western cities, like Lindell, Sorano, and Kaikura. Basically, the farther away from the Autarchy's main seat of power, the more of a threat you are, because they have less of an established power base to monitor your movements and crush any rebellions that could be brewing.

So if any of these powers decided to ally (say if Elinden, Kresh, and the Sesz Isles decided to send an invading fleet to wage war against the Autarchy), they could do enough damage to really make things difficult for the Autarchy. If all three "frontiers" decided to attack simultaneously (if Lindell and other cities in the West, the Southern Isles, and the cities of the North decided to spring into action at once), it would most likely be enough to completely topple the Autarchy after a long and bloody campaign.

The only problem is that each of these places, while technically having the position, power, or resources to wage war, also has its own internal problems keeping it from actually being an effective military force at the moment; or these cities are unable to cooperate long enough to ally with each other.

Elinden, for example, is probably the single most prominent threat to the Autarchy at the moment. Even acting completely alone, it's a country full of well-trained, extremely powerful Diminished soldiers and fighters who could really do a number on the Army of the Sun if so inclined, and they've indicated they're not a big fan of the way the Autarchy runs things. The only problem is that their country is also rife with infighting, conflict, and warring tribes and political turmoil, so they haven't gotten their shit together long enough to actually turn their sights on the Autarchy. If united under the banner of a High King or Queen, it might happen... but seeing as how their king recently died, it's all fallen apart again. The same goes for Kaikura and Luxue: they technically might have the manpower or some advantage, but are essentially crippled by their own problems, like internal political corruption or rampant crime.

The next best thing would be the various pockets of the Ket rebellion that's still at work somewhere in the Autarchy. The Ket rebels have been incredibly patient, seeding spies, agents, moles, informants, and assassins in every rank of society they could infiltrate. Right now, they're still so stifled by the dire need for secrecy--they could still be crushed if any cell was discovered or a domino effect was initiated--that they're not that, like, bombastic. But if they were to ever link up with other rebel forces, say the Elves or the Hunters, that could be extremely worrisome for the Autarchy. Unfortunately, at the moment, the Autarchy and the Inquisitors are so strong that it's been impossible for these groups to really connect or discover each other at all, because if the Ket could discover where the Mage rebels are hiding, the Autarchy could, too.

did Blest ever have its own prehistoric megafauna like dinosaurs, mammoths etc and if so do they still survive anywhere in a sort of lost world situation?

I haven't quite nailed down Blest's prehistoric history, to be honest! I usually take the route of Middle Earth where the gods/God created the world and people were kind of always there, among the first beings to be created, so there isn't really a time "before mankind" where other creatures roamed the earth without humanity also being around. However, I always leave room for ambiguity, especially since we learn much of this through religious creeds and beliefs, which tend to morph and change and leave large and imprecise gaps; and I have also thought that there were certainly megafauna that have gone extinct! (Ironically, elephants don't really exist in Blest, but woolly mammoths do.) So, long story short, I do think there are "giant lizards" or dinosaur-like creatures, or megafauna that have gone extinct, but I can't say whether they predated mankind or if they coexisted with them before dying out. 

My other idea is that there is a "lost world" with just batshit crazy dinosaur-like creatures, but it's on the Southern Continent, which hasn't really been successfully explored before, so these creatures have just evolved without really any influence or cohabitation with humanity! I have some drafts about a giant lizard dinosaur thing from this region whose bones could be used to make deadly swords, but the sound they made when swinging them would eventually cause insanity LOL

Does Blest have its own version of the seven wonders of the world or anything like that?

It does indeed! I'll just stick to the "natural" wonders of the world rather than the manmade ones: 

• The Eye of the World, the highest peak in the known Continent
• The Tamar River, a river that runs milky-white, frothy, and faintly luminous in a specific area; bathing in its waters is said to grant the memories and knowledge of the other people who bathed there, eternal youth, or immortality
• The Cliffs of Calta, an incredible bay with golden cliffs and turquoise water that can magically seal itself from invasion
• The Etu Geyser at Heth Macoll
• Zarado, a labyrinthine maze of red, razor-sharp canyons and ravines leading into hive-like caves in the Jalis Desert
• The Nysos Sea, the sea of vortexes (basically like a really crazy impassable Bermuda Triangle)
• The Skeleton Coast, a ghostly but strangely stark and beautiful coastline in the Frozen North
• The Blasted Heath, the original roosting place of Blest's Drakes (dragons) and a magnificent high and rocky area said to conceal a mythical waterfall
• The Wandering Reef, an incredibly vibrant and colorful coral reef said to conceal the entrance of the Undine's capital city
• Thielwood, the Continent's largest and most primeval forest, which is full of incredible shadows, deep magic, and ancient secrets. No Child of Light's life is thought to be complete without stepping foot in Thielwood at least once. Numerous things could be counted as a wonder of the world here, including the hidden city of Woken beasts and the secret location of a mythical, glowing tree called the Golden Bough. 

That's not all of them, but that's all I could think of off the top of my head!

Hi,Lena! I’m a very visual person and I sometimes words aren’t enough and I have a hard visualizing certain aspects of characters unless a picture is straight up shown to me. Do you have picture references or anything that closely resembles our main Ros body types? I know Trouble is the most muscular with Riel being the most frail? I apologize for the trouble!

Hi there, I'm afraid I don't have visual references for body types for the characters, and this is something I plan to leave intentionally ambiguous! I prefer to leave it up to the reader to decide what a character looks like if described as "slim" or "bony" or "rangy" or "muscular" or "round" or "thick" or "busty"--I don't like to canonize by using direct images, since I feel that concretizes the character a bit too much! Like, if I link an imperfect or imprecise reference image, but someone thinks, "When you said they were muscular, I imagined so and so as more buff rather than lean and cut, etc.", I'd just prefer for them to stick with whatever they were thinking! So I'm going to leave it up to interpretation. Sorry if that's not helpful!!

This might be too specific, but I have to ask.  My MC llikes to draw.  How would the other shepherds react to being asked to model/act as a reference?

I think everyone would agree if it wasn't a busy day and they didn't have other things to do, but they'd have varying levels of comfort or naturalness to it! 

Blade: would act absolutely perplexed as to why you would want that at first, so shy MCs would likely be embarrassed into giving up; would give in after much insistent pestering and badgering, you'd have to chase him down and really wheedle him into it, he'd be super stiff and awkward throughout the duration and it would only ever happen one time. Could get a good portrait out of it, though, he can sit very still!

Trouble: would readily agree to it, but would be all fidgety and restless and would keep messing around with his hair or trying to sit in a more comfortable position after about twenty minutes! I could just see it going like this...

"Aren't you a sniper?? Aren't you trained to sit still for long periods of time??"

"Yeah, but I'm still doing something"

Your results are going to be mixed depending on how well your MC can draw a moving subject, haha

Tallys: she'd agree to this readily and would quite enjoy being asked to model or pose while MC drew her. It could even become a regular activity for them, she'd not only enjoy it and find it peaceful, but also flattering! Her portraits would look very pretty, I think!

Shery: she'd be quite delighted to be asked, but also a bit shy, like, "Are you sure?? Wouldn't you rather someone like Lavinet??" But she'd be very pleased to sit and model for MC! She'd probably be so stunned by the portrait, like, "It's so beautiful! Is that really how you see me??" She'd secretly want MC to ask her to keep modeling again and again!

Riel: he'll agree to it but only if you let him read or do work while he sits for the portrait, lol. He won't agree to it if you tell him he can only sit there 😂

Chase: oh, boy... he'd agree to it with much enthusiasm and bravado, but I don't think he can sit still for that long... especially without talking! I don't think he'd make for a very good model. He'd always be striking up random conversation as soon as his mind wandered and distracting MC... I mean, he's good-looking, he'd be pleased with the portrait, but he's not the most well-behaved art subject!

Red: he'd agree to this as a one-time thing rather than a regular activity; it sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon off, just chilling! He'd be very pleased and boyish about the portrait, but also a bit shy about it, too, like he'd be sheepish about Pan or Neon knowing about it, for some reason!

Ayla: she'd do it, a bit suspiciously, but she'd act somewhat reluctant or like she was doing you a big favor! Like, "fine, fine, if you insist! 😤" But gradually she'd grow to actually enjoy just sitting there and chilling while MC sketched her! I think she'd get quite emotional at seeing the final results, but would hide it... she probably wouldn't want to do it all the time, but you could get her to do it once or twice!

Briony: she'd be delighted to be asked to sit and model for a portrait! She'd be a bit fidgety at first, trying to be over-helpful, like, "Where should I sit? Is this angle good? What about this one? Should I move more into the light?" but once she got settled, it would be an enjoyable time, and she'd happily oblige MC if they asked her to model again!

Lavinet: she'd love this, this would be a great date to take her on/way to court her 😂😂😂 It appeals to her vanity and makes her feel glamorous! She'd be all casual if MC asked, like she did it all the time, but secretly she'd be over the moon!

What is each ROs' greatest flaw in a relationship?

Keep in mind that these are conceived more towards the early stages of the relationship; everyone grows and changes and learns the longer they're in a relationship as well as from just naturally getting older, so these aren't totally set in stone!

Blade: sometimes he's so overprotective that he values safety over happiness. Like he would rather MC be alive and completely hating him rather than to risk her dying, so that desperation to keep her safe can sometimes blind him and lead him to make decisions that MC (particularly a more independent or headstrong one) might not necessarily be happy with. Like to him, making sure MC is safe and healthy justifies and supersedes almost anything, so he's willing to make decisions or sacrifices without thinking about it or communicating it beforehand.

Trouble: he no use his words so good, especially when he's angry, so when he gets heated he tends to either shut down or storm out because he's afraid he'll say something he'll really regret. He needs time to cool off and recollect himself during arguments, but even at first, he's not great at describing what he's feeling and is limited to sentences like, "I just... I don't... urgh," while scrubbing at his head like it's not working right. His thoughts get all scrambled when he's angry, so it's hard for him to articulate (or even really think about) exactly what is causing his frustration or anger. He eventually figures this out!

Tallys: she's quite prideful and it's hard for her to apologize first. She tends to assume she's usually in the right and can be quite stubborn, so it takes a long time for her to reluctantly admit that MC was right or to offer an olive branch if they're not talking after a fight. The worst part is that she rarely talks about her problems to other people, so she doesn't have another perspective to point out to her that she was in the wrong, so her thoughts can become quite the echo chamber! She eventually gets better at this, though!

Shery: she's too much of a people-pleaser and will brush over things that annoy her or upset her until they boil over. So if MC is always leaving things on the ground or is a bit of a slob--fairly innocent stuff, but things that would irk Shery--Shery would just silently pick the things up or clean up after MC without saying anything, like "This is fine, I actually like doing this! :)" And then her frustrations would build and build until she was feeling quite low and self-pitying, like she's a constant servant (even though, in reality, it's not that big of a deal, she just perceives it that way because she's bottling it all up and letting it magnify and compound) until MC does something seemingly innocent, like forget to put her dish away, and Shery just starts crying!

Riel: he gets too lost in his work and sometimes annoyed by interruptions in it, which can come off as thoughtless or distant. Like, when he's really preoccupied with stuff mentally (and he usually is, with inventions or future plans or business things), he's not one to spontaneously ask MC out on a date or surprise him with a random gift when he comes home. He's just not thinking about it. He meets the standard "quota" and never forgets birthdays, anniversaries, that kind of thing, but it's rare that he'll just propose doing stuff out of nowhere, unless he notices MC has been feeling stressed or needs a break. If MC's acting normal, then Riel kind of thinks everything is taken care of in that department and has to be pulled back down to earth and made to be more attentive now and then, especially for MCs who prefer spontaneous romance! 

Chase: aside from his obvious commitment issues, trust and self-worth issues, he tends to be very conflict-avoidant. He pretty much never gets angry or ever lets anything ruffle his feathers... he tends to go through life totally unbothered, and when tension does arise, he tends to act light-hearted or nonchalant or humorous about it, which sometimes is good for diffusing dumb tension (like if he and MC have been cooped up together for weeks and he's inadvertently annoying them by tipping his chair back over and over, he'll notice and make a joke about it later, and things won't blow up into a fight) but it's sometimes not good for stuff they should actually have a real talk about. He tries to keep everything light and silly and sunny, but sometimes the heavy confrontations are needed, too! He mellows out as he gets older, though, and realizes that fights aren't the end of the world!

Red: I don't think he has too many flaws in his actual relationship, but one thing he does that could come off as a bit annoying to certain personality types is that he always tries to give people the benefit of a doubt. Like if MC says something like "did you see your ex glaring daggers at me when we came in? she looks like she hates my guts" he'll say something like, "Oh, I'm sure that's not true" or "Maybe she was looking at someone else?" (Sometimes my own partner does this and it drives me crazy lol. I know what I saw!!) Or he might look uncomfortable if MC was participating in some snarky gossip with Lavinet or Chase or Riel, like if they were giggling and really going in ragging on someone's ridiculous outfit at a dance, Red might gently try to put a stop to it or change the subject. He's not judgmental or disapproving, you can just tell he's uncomfortable with it, which might come off as un-fun for certain personality types. 

Ayla: she has a strong "flight" response where, when things get tough or fights are happening, she has a really strong instinct to just give up and walk away from the whole mess because she just knows everything is going to end badly. Basically, she's super pessimistic and always assumes things are the beginning of the end during intense fights or arguments. She eventually works through this, but MC will have to learn to give her space and she has to learn to fight for things instead of just giving up and running away from her problems!

Briony: she gets emotional whenever she senses that something "serious" is happening. Like if MC is upset with her, and even if they sit her down and try to approach the topic in as gentle and non-accusing way as possible, she'll feel horrible and start to tear up against her will and either dissolves into a puddle of guilt or remorse (or anger if she doesn't think the circumstances are fair), so things become more emotional even when they're not intended to be. Eventually she becomes steadier once she feels safer and more secure in the relationship, but at first, the waterworks are really common, and not really of her own accord--they just happen! 

Lavinet: she's a little too used to getting her way, so sometimes she comes off as presumptive or thoughtless without intending to (this especially a bigger potential problem for an introverted MC vs. an extraverted one). Like if someone asks her to stay until the end of a long party or to host dinner at her place, she'll exclaim, "Of course!" and just assumes MC will be chill with it. It's not malicious, just unthinking, like it doesn't even occur to her that MC could hate that, she just... doesn't think of how it could impact him and assumes that he would be equally happy to do that thing as she is. Again, I think this wouldn't be noticeable with an extraverted and really social MC, because she doesn't do this in really egregious and horrible ways--it's like inviting her friends over to your house without asking you if it's okay first, not bossing you around a servant or anything like that. But an introverted MC would probably need to have some talks with her, and then she'd be more mindful!

Hi! Thank you so much for your amazing world and story, it's stunning! I'm endlessly curious about the Shepherd's home and the layout, and I spend way too much time looking at the blueprints with stars in my eyes lol. Could you tell me if each of the captains rooms have windows? Or if Caine's room is on the 4th floor?

Hi, thank you so much for your kind words! Caine's room is not on the fourth floor; I think it's on the first floor near the buttery, because I think I described his room as always smelling like warm pastries and chocolate! 

As for the windows, I guess according to the blueprints, not everyone does have a window, LOL, just the people on the southern edge! I think I still describe some rooms as having windows, anyway, even though it's technically not possible--so you'll either have to ignore those discrepancies and treat the blueprints as slightly loose (it's a magical shifting tower! anything could happen!) or just ignore me when my lack of spatial reasoning kicks in, haha!

How did everyone initially feel about being called darling by Lavinet? I assume some of the Shepherds had never been called that before.

Mostly doesn't register it or just ignores it as a meaningless verbal tic:

Trouble

Red

Halek

Begrudgingly tolerates it:

Blade

Riel

Did not like it at first but has learned to accept it:

Tallys

Ayla

Likes it! It makes Lavinet ✨ friend-shaped ✨:

Briony

Shery

Chase

Which of the ROs prefer being big spoon vs little spoon when they cuddle?

Hi, this has been answered a few different times, including here! Here's the list:

Big spoon:

Blade

Tallys

Chase

Halek

Medium (verse?) spoon (depends on partner, partner's body type, or mood):

Trouble (leans more big spoon)

Red (leans more big spoon)

Ayla (leans more big spoon)

Lavinet (leans more little spoon)

Little spoon:

Riel

Briony

Shery

If the ROs were playing truth or dare and were dared to kiss someone in the room, who would each one pick? Who would refuse the dare at the risk of being called a chicken?

I'm going to assume MC doesn't count, since their relationship with everyone is very variable! 

Blade: he would refuse to play lol, even with everyone's worst roasting. He'd probably begrudgingly allow someone else to kiss him if they were dared to and picked him, but he would look extremely disgruntled and full of consternation and >:( the whole time

Trouble: he'd probably kiss Blade to annoy him, or kiss Lavinet on the cheek because she'd be chill with it!

Tallys: she'd probably pick Shery and give her a very chaste peck on the lips, if only to make her blush! Tallys's hidden sense of humor! 😈

Shery: she'd probably pass out if asked to do this, but she wouldn't want to quit, she'd just take a LONG time to work the courage up... Briony would probably take pity on her and give her a sweet and gentle kiss to end her suffering!

Riel: he would not play lol, he probably left the room as soon as truth or dare got tossed around, he dematerialized 

Chase: he'd probably pick Tallys or Lavinet, depending on what energies they were putting out that day... if the vibe wasn't right, he'd probably pick Red because Red would be the person that would groan the most about it like "please... no... 😫" Chase: "you like it 😈"

Red: he'd pick Ayla because it would make her scowl and he could plant a brotherly kiss on her cheek--because that's the only time he could get away with it without her giving him a black eye!

Ayla: she'd pick Trouble because they have the most "sibling-like" relationship so it'd feel less weird for her to just plant one on him and get it over with while they both fake-gag and groan than it might be with anyone else! Briony would also be a strong contender because Briony's so relentlessly cheerful it wouldn't make Ayla feel awkward! 

Briony: she'd most likely pick Red or Lavinet, depending on how many drinks are in her 😅😅😅 Red if she's mostly sober, and because he'd be natural and charming about it, Lavinet if she's quite drunk! 

Lavinet: she'd most likely pick Chase for the drama, and would snap her fan open at the last minute to hide their faces while he bent her back in one of those swooping dipping kisses and everyone catcalled! It would actually be very chaste, but the fan would make it seem scandalous! 

Can you give us a random fact about Riel? 

Random fact: Riel's name actually has angelic or saintly connotations. Many of Blest's prominent holy figures had similar names: Saint Caphriel, the angel Uriel, Saint Ambriel. Naming a kid "Riel" is similar to maybe naming your kid "Augustus" or "Raphael," which is kind of ironic, given what he's like in real life, lol!

Do you have any random facts about Chase? I love that bastard thief man 

Random fact: in the original novels, Chase was not actually fully Norm, but the result of experimentation by a separate branch of the Equalists in Conte, who experimented on babies in utero rather than kidnapping grown children and experimenting on them, as in Trouble's later case. Chase was never acknowledged in the books to be an outright Mage, but was noted to be highly "unusual" and had abilities exceeding that of a typical Norm, bordering on supernatural (and this depiction has influenced how he's portrayed in the game, although he does not have any tie to the Equalists in this version of the story). In the books, he was raised in the Equalist facility with about a dozen other children for the first thirteen years of his life, so he was not very socialized and initially acted much more idiosyncratic than he does in the game! He mellowed out the more he was around normal people as an adult, though!

we've gotten the answers for blade and trouble, but how would the rest of the ros react to mc getting kidnapped?? who's panicking, who's on the warpath, what are the worst-case scenarios they're imagining?? 

Blade (from the past): Blade would go absolutely out of his mind with fear and rage and would hunt down the people who’d kidnapped her. He’d have hope because it would mean MC isn’t dead and can still be rescued, but he would basically drive everyone else crazy or into the ground by deploying literally all of their forces to get MC back. He’d make sure the people who kidnapped her suffered long and slow deaths, too!

Trouble (from the past): He'd be totally frantic and irrational, focused on getting MC back no matter what and visiting unholy revenge on the people who kidnapped them. He'd basically be out of his mind with fear and rage, and it would be very hard for anyone to calm him down or make him see reason; he'd basically be out-of-control until they got MC back!

Tallys: she's keeping herself calm; anger or fear aren't going to help her get MC back, so she discards them because they're not useful to her. She holds it together and does EVERYTHING in her power to get MC back... and only when they're safe, only then does she allow herself to break down and cry in their arms.

Shery: she'd be absolutely panicking and completely fearful for MC's life and determined to do anything she can to get her back--but some part of her, the part that has complete faith in MC, the part that fell in love with her, that part sort of secretly believes that MC is going to get out of this just fine, because she's MC and she always does? So she's no less scared and panicky, but there's also some part of her that wouldn't be surprised in the least if MC turned up just fine!

Riel: he'd basically react the way he did when Trouble was kidnapped in the Bridge of Bones: holding it together, flying into action, and seizing absolute control of the situation, because if no one does, if no one remains absolutely steely and clear and ruthlessly determined, nothing's going to get done. So his outward self is very controlled (and very determined to orchestrate things so he regains maximum control over the situation to ensure MC's safety), but his inner thoughts keep skipping around, veering into fear and paranoia (what if he's too late and finds MC dead?) to brutal and pitiless squashing of emotion so he can focus. He is absolutely going to make sure those enemies burn to the ground after MC is recovered, though.

Chase: at first he tries to stay optimistic and strong for MC's sake, like, "Guys, don't freak out, at any moment MC is going to show up with those people's head on a spike..." but he fairly quickly switches over into a very dark version of himself as things worsen and become more dire. If he's given any evidence that MC's been hurt, he basically goes on a solo warpath and is willing to kill anyone who stands in his way, with zero hint of remorse...

Red: he's basically a worried wreck, not eating, not sleeping, just a complete shell of who he normally is. It's hard for him to think straight, he's just pacing and worried and sick and panicking, losing himself to images and scenarios of what could be happening to MC... it's very traumatic for him! He manages to get it together enough to get MC back, but the whole ordeal would leave him both incredibly relieved and deeply affected! He'd be extremely balky about MC ever going out into the field again and would be very anxious about any situation that put them in danger!

Ayla: she basically goes on a crazed rampage and can't be talked down or restrained, essentially completely uncontrollable until she gets MC back. There's no reasoning with her, no calming her down; she's seeing red, so you can only point her at the enemy and let her tear their lungs apart like paper

Briony: surprisingly, she stays fairly calm and rational (she behaves much better in combat or in a crisis than she does in interpersonal conflict like arguments). She sort of... disassociates, slightly, and seems sort of overly calm or a bit detached or distant, but this is actually very useful in ensuring she makes clear-headed and intelligent decisions. After she gets MC back, it all breaks over into a storm of emotion, fear, relief, anger, love... and then after that's done, she promptly departs on a weeks-long or even months-long methodical campaign to tear those people apart with her bare hands, one by one :)

Lavinet: she would keep it together; she's good in an emergency, in a crisis. She's definitely angry at the enemies and wants to see them suffer, but once MC is back with her, she cares more about him and his health rather than pursuing revenge against his kidnappers (unless they're relatively easy for her to address or she thinks they could come back in the future). She would be very tightly-focused and controlled throughout the ordeal, but afterwards she would be so relieved and so exhausted that she'd just make MC sleep (and would sleep with him) in her bed for days!

Spoilers

How would the ROs handle the Nathe fight situation (beat Nathe, forfeit, lose (rip riel and shery))?

Blade: he would beat Nathe for the sake of the mission (because he absolutely has to get into that dinner with the sponsor) but he would likely help Nathe break out or escape afterwards to ensure he didn't get killed (and would use the distraction to sabotage stuff around the arena, lol)

Trouble: he would forfeit to Nathe for sure! He'd even encourage him to give the arena a good show, like "go ahead and clock me mate, they'll love it! ...but don't break any bones". He'd be super dramatic about it and pretend to be knocked unconscious, lol

Tallys: if it were anybody else, she'd most likely win but find some way to slip him a dagger or something so he could either fight off the guards or do something to help himself escape. But because it's Nathe, and he's an Elf and a father and everything else, she'd definitely forfeit!

Shery: poor thing, she'd definitely lose if they went head to head, but she'd lay down her weapons first and refuse to fight, letting Nathe win by forfeiting! He'd feel so bad about attacking her in a fight though that they would be just both be paralyzed by guilt 😅

Riel: he'd let Nathe win (and pretend like it was a big sacrifice because he "definitely wasn't going to lose"), but he'd make Nathe and Briony swear to help him get up to the Sponsor's room in exchange, even if it means smuggling him in a wine barrel or something crazy like that! He'd be pretty ruthless about making that happen because they OWE HIM BIG TIME

Chase: he'd put on a big show to play up Nathe's abilities as a warrior, but he'd definitely forfeit... he'd probably be able to use his sneaky skills to get up to the Sponsor's room, anyway, or at least would think he could, so he doesn't think he really has to win the fight to accomplish his mission!

Red: he'd most likely forfeit, though without the use of his magic, Nathe would have a strong chance of winning! If he was able to use his magic, it's more even or more likely Red would win (like 65-35), but without it, it's probably more like 50-50!

Ayla: I think she'd go into it with the intention of winning, and would be able to beat Nathe handily, but at the very last minute she'd be standing over him about to finish the fight and would feel bad and would have a change of heart. So ultimately, she'd throw down her weapon in disgust or let Nathe win, but she'd be REALLY mad and disgusted with herself about it, like "don't thank me, you're pissing me off!!" *storms away*

Briony: obviously she would forfeit, haha, but they'd never let her fight Nathe because they know that!

Lavinet: she'd probably beat him... she'd rationalize that she's weighing the needs of the many (putting a stop to the whole operation) against the needs of the few, but she'd feel bad about it and do her best to try to help him out of his situation/bust the arena quickly enough so that he's not executed!

I liked the opportunity in Chapter 5 to buy Red, Ayla, or Halek a souvenir of their choosing. What would the rest of the Shepherds have picked from the cart?

Blade: probably a Heth Macollan blowdart LOL but he wouldn't have let MC pay!

Trouble: a little hand drum that kids use to annoy their parents lol

Tallys: either the same packet of local spices as Halek or a little seedling of a local herb to take home!

Shery: she would have been eyeing the spicy desert romance novel but would have been too embarrassed to pick it, so would have picked the same book of local stories that Red picked!

Riel: there's a famous mathematician who lives in Heth Macoll, so he probably would have picked a book of that guy's essays, only to find that it's the tourist's abridged version and super dumbed down and simplified, haha!

Chase: a Heth Macollan "falconer's whistle"; if you blow it right, you can convincingly sound like an eagle's piercing screech. He and Trouble would have a field day...

Briony: any shiny bauble or trinket would do, like a cheap but pretty necklace with a little ruby drop or a crystal lightcatcher that you hang in your window to cast refractions and reflect rainbows!

Lavinet: most likely the Leonic rose that the MC can buy for themselves, or a bottle of Heth Macollan local perfume (though she'd be disappointed to find that the vendor's cart version is cheaply made and smells faintly of alcohol)

You have mentioned that Chase tries to torpedo his relationship with the MC when he's realizing that he's catching feelings. Can you give us more of an idea of how he tries to do that? Or like an example of Chase trying to torpedo his thing with the MC?

Man, I didn't realize how much I used the word "torpedo" until now! More context for this here, here, and here!

It's really not as extreme as it sounds--it's not like Chase goes out and sleeps with other people or says something really unforgivable to MC. He just comes off as insensitive or a bit dickish in an effort to purposefully create distance between them once he realizes he's catching feelings and panics internally about it; he decides this is his last chance to create space before it's too late and he's in too deep to be able to convincingly back out, and it's just... self-destructive, like, "If I purposefully push MC away, they can't hurt me by doing it to me first," if that makes sense?

Basically, just after sleeping together, while they're lying in bed in the afterglow and Chase is idly running his hand through MC's hair, and MC's eyes are closed and they're relaxed, he nonchalantly drops a line along the thread of, "So I heard [random recruit] saying they have a crush on you." MC, still blissed out from their earlier activities: "...Uh-huh?" Chase: "You should try going on a date with them, I think you guys would be cute together." 

That's like the roughest outline of the conversation ever lol, but you get the point! It's just... not great timing to be saying that DIRECTLY AFTER MAKING LOVE and cuddling in bed together, and it would be hurtful and insensitive to an MC who was catching feelings too. For a strictly FWB MC, they can act casual, like, "Oh yeah, maybe!" or tease him about it and turn it into a joke or play along, and then the relationship will basically continue as FWBs, with Chase being able to detach himself emotionally/talk himself out of making it more than it really is. Even an MC who likes him but convincingly covers up their upset and just acts like everything's fine will find that this decision leads to him thinking they're fine with everything, so things never change. 

If MC goes quiet, acts upset, or calls him out on it, this leads to them having an argument where Chase is a bit mulish and bull-headed and contrarian, like "I don't get it; why are you upset? Isn't this what we agreed on? What did I do wrong?" and things get a bit more heated. Then they don't talk for a while, and having MC upset with him makes Chase realize how much he cares about (i.e. loves) them and how miserable he'd be if it was like this always--if he didn't get to be with them, how empty his life would be without them, and that realization is what pushes him to apologizing and asking MC for forgiveness... and a shot at something more, if they're up for it! Basically, not having MC in his life for a little bit (like a few weeks) makes him realize that he's truly in love with them, because he can't just brush it off like he's done with literally everyone else and is pretty heartsick and not himself over it! So it's a moment of confrontation but ultimately growth and truth!

NSFW

Yay, I missed last month’s! NSFW: Since Blade is an ass man, would he be up for face sitting? Would that be something that would get him going downstairs?

He would be up for it, and it would definitely be mightily intriguing for him, but I think he'd prefer eating MC out with her on her back and his face between her thighs! He wouldn't dislike face-sitting, and he'd happily oblige, but it wouldn't be his natural preference. He seems to be a bit more traditional in his tastes in the bedroom!

I have a NSFW! Would croelle ever being into a sexy nun or something religious role play? Or would that be out of the question considering his origin?

Initially my instinct was that Croelle wasn't imaginative enough to be into roleplay, but honestly, I think he'd be very into religious roleplay if he got to be some sort of sexy priest and the whole penance and punishment and sin part played into it! Like, maybe a little too into it...

who of the Shepherds would be into cockwarming, especially during work (ig edgeplay?)

I had to look this up to figure out what it meant glfdjgdfg but okay, I think I understand the assignment now! Or I guess I'm a little confused, my understanding is that cockwarming isn't necessarily always sexual or intending to lead to sex, and is sometimes more about being comfy or casual playing around or about the intimacy of it, but the work/edgeplay aspect makes me think it is intended to be sexual??

So I'm just going to talk about cockwarming in general, or my understanding of it, which is like, "The act of a man slipping his erection into his partner’s vagina, mouth, or ass in order to keep warm - a more intimate version of spooning," and yes I AM copy-pasting because I'm a nerd and I don't know things I guess!!

Blade: he would be very into this, especially while cuddling or spooning in bed or as a way to wake up. 50/50 chance of it leading to sex, but it'd definitely be something he really loved and enjoyed--probably one of his favorite things once he figured it out!

Trouble: he'd love it, but it would lead to him getting aroused and wanting sex 100% of the time, so I don't know how long it could successfully go on before he started begging 😅

Tallys: she might like doing this as a tease, but it would be more casual fondling or a teasing touch and "piquing MC's interest" rather than literally having MC's dick inside her or her mouth, if that makes any sense!

Riel: not into it, he's not into ✨ half-measures ✨ so if it's inside him (or he's inside MC) he's just like "what is this, are we doing this or...?" Cockwarming probably wouldn't do very much for him!

Chase: I think he'd be very into this as a kind of challenge, like how long can you do this and play around with somebody or turn them on (or get turned on) before pulling away and extending the tease and leaving them hot and bothered? So I think he'd be very much into the edgeplay aspect of it and would love these little micro-encounters before abruptly ending it before things got too far!

Red: I think he'd like it if it happened, but he wouldn't be demanding it or really wild for it--it'd probably be like a B+ in his book? Fun but not anything to inspire passionate obsession or anything like that!

Ayla: not her thing, they're either having sex or they're not, no in-between! If MC asked nicely I think she'd begrudgingly allow it, but if it didn't lead to sex she'd be sort of indignant, like MC was deliberately teasing her!

Briony: she's actually more of a perv than anyone gives her credit for, so she'd constantly be slipping her hands down MC's pants and playing around with his cock, more out of fascination or affection (like "I just love it!! I love touching it!!") than an intentional signal for sexy time. If it happens, then she's down, but sometimes she just likes keeping it warm or fondling it? If MC were to ask her to sit on his lap or spoon so that he could penetrate her, she'd also be super down for that, though at that point, she'd have to be quite sleepy and comfortable for it to not lead to sex. She'd also be happy to kiss and lick to keep it warm throughout the day, too!

Lavinet: she'd be into cockwarming strictly as edgeplay and as a way to prolong sex and heighten the sensations, but not as the more casual affection like spooning or hanging out. But if MC were to just stop in the middle of sex and just stay inside her as edgeplay, she'd be very into that!