Author Answers (June) (Patreon)

General 

How did Red end up at the Circle? Were his parents worried about risks tied to him attending? it just seems like a big step from ‘teach our kids a few spells in secret’ to ‘let’s send our son to this mage academy at great risk to his life’

Red's family was always pretty subversive (he comes from a long line of scholars who'd go against the status quo for the sake of preserving or pursuing knowledge), but the thought of sending him to the Circle didn't occur to him or his parents until he became friends with Pan and Neon (mostly because they weren't aware that it definitively existed). Pan and Neon's families are long-standing family friends/allies and even have some married cousins somewhere in the family tree, and their parents became friends with Red's parents because they would visit Red's town every year on trips when the kids were growing up. So Red, Pan, and Neon became close friends while the adults would all hang out with each other. Pan and Neon were already set to attend the Circle when they were of-age, as their older siblings/relatives had, and when Red heard about that, he begged and pleaded with his parents to do the same and there was even the vague threat of teaching himself magic so he could teleport away and possibly end up "scrambled somewhere into the walls, where he'd haunt the family forever as a disembodied voice" (Isodel's words). Red's parents were pretty hesitant and conflicted about it, but were basically persuaded into it by Pan and Neon's parents, and there was a feeling of "safety" knowing he would already know kids there who could look after him, and that Pan and Neon's families had successfully had other kids graduate from the Circle unharmed. So after about a year, they finally agreed to it!

Some of Red's sisters were a bit miffed about it (Idalia and Gwynn, specifically), but by the time the Antiquas knew about the Circle, they were both pretty much grown up and figuring out their own lives, so they didn't have as much interest in attending at their later age! They definitely still tease Red as the baby of the family getting to be the only one who got to go, ✨ coincidentally ✨, though! Everything just always works out perfectly for precious baby Red, doesn't it... 

what’s a random pet peeve the ROs have?

Hi there, although this was technically answered here, I can update the list with more pet peeves!

Blade: he really doesn’t like people invading his personal space, like strangers who stand too close behind you in line, especially if there’s room where you don’t HAVE to do that. if he can feel your breath on him, that’s way too close

Trouble: snobs, but especially if they come from the same social class as him. like a waiter at a fancy restaurant eyeing a shabby-looking patron up and down and snidely commenting that maybe they’d have better luck at some other establishment, but it’s not like the waiter themself is really rich or anything. That kind of behavior really puts a fire in his gut, because it's like, dude, we're on the same level, you don't have to treat me like that!

Tallys: she doesn’t like it when people interrupt or talk over people, especially persistently, and especially when it happens to other people. She definitely finds it rude when it happens to her, but she usually only speaks up/snaps about it when she notices they're doing it to other people. Oh, also talking during plays, concerts, or operas. she thinks it’s very disrespectful to the performers. In a modern AU she’d hate the type of people who are always asking questions during movies, like “who’s that” or “wait what’s going on?”

Shery: lending stuff to people and never getting it back, or getting it back in poor condition! Especially books! She always takes great care with other people's belongings, so she gets really frustrated by people who are careless with hers, which she lent to them as a favor. It's okay if accidents happen, but if it seems like you didn't even try, it's super obnoxious to her!

Riel: people spitting. especially people spitting on public sidewalks. that’s not okay. if you do it in his vicinity you will become his enemy for life

Chase: this is a weird one, but false recommendations lol. Like people who are really enthusiastic about a restaurant and they’re like oh you like x? you HAVE to go to y!!! and then you go and it actually sucks lol. It happens very rarely (and honestly he is not an easily peeved guy in general), but he finds this mildly annoying lol—it’s probably more about the other person acting really worldly or informed, but not having actual evidence to back that up, or being passive-aggressive and actively trying to make you go to a bad place!

Red: he really hates it when people use the common misspelling for things. Like there’s a Blest phrase: “he’s leaning ayeward” or “she’s growing up nayward” (it’s like saying “he’s going to the bad” or “she’s trending towards the dark side/a negative road in life" or "she’s getting set on the straight and narrow"). A lot of people spell it “ayward” or “hayward” or “nayeward” or something and it drives him absolutely bonkers. He’d be the type to be privately annoyed when people spell “aw” as “awe” in a modern AU, etc.!

Ayla: she doesn’t like it when people tsk. It’s just a judgmental sound in general, but in Jalis, it’s also more provocative, like it communicates a stronger negative emotion than just your average Karen tutting to herself when you have a scandalous T-shirt slogan. It instantly makes her blood boil and she'll be side-eying you to see if you do it more... Continuous tsking is likely to get her to throw hands!

Briony: persistent scraping of a fork against a ceramic plate literally makes her start to feel nauseous. I think she's pretty sensitive to "nail on chalkboard" sounds like that in general and will grind her teeth or even clutch her head because she hates it so much! Also, this is very mild, but she usually doesn't like to be touched when she's very sweaty, especially by someone who has warm/hot hands. She won't freak out, it's just a small thing she doesn't like!

Lavinet: misbehaving little kids. crying babies is one thing, but kids who are like crawling and jumping all over the place and yelling I’M BORED!! I WANT CANDY!! and throwing tantrums or causing a scene really sets her teeth on edge. she comes from a culture where kids are, if not well-mannered, then pretty much ingrained with the idea of being seen and not heard, so she's not really used to loud or actively misbehaving children: she finds it very jarring!

Hello Lena! I hope that you're well :) my very serious question is which shepherds are most to least likely to wear crocs?

Hi Jazz, I hope you're well too!! And oh God lol

Most likely to least likely:

Ayla (sport mode motherfucker)

Briony (more probably if she had a job like a nurse in a modern AU than a natural inclination)

Trouble (sure if they're around or given to him as a gift)

Halek (he goes to the top of the list if employed as a chef in a modern AU)

Shery (definitely not inclined towards it in a fashion sense but more likely than the people below her)

Chase (only to be funny and/or steal someone else's crocs to impersonate them)

Tallys (absolutely not, but still slightly more likely than the last three)

Blade (absolutely not)

Lavinet - Riel (immediately no. immediately no.)

Hi, Lena! What are the ROs like on vacation? Like, who’s showing up to the airport way too early? Who’s taking full control of planning? Who’s just there to get drinks poolside? Who’s falling for every tourist trap? + who would be your ideal travel partner?

Blade: if you're the one planning, he's pretty chill and undemanding and content to just do whatever you want to do. If he's the one in charge, he's a little bit of a control freak and very efficient... if it's just the two of you, mostly he just hits the big checkmarks in a very efficient manner, barely stops to smell the roses, and doesn't often allow for detours, meandering, or wandering along side paths. He creates a strict itinerary and sticks to it! He is going to get you to every single place you requested, exactly on time, and with perfect preparation, but God forbid you want to stop anywhere off the beaten path, because he did NOT PLAN FOR THAT so it makes him a little anxious to go off the menu!! If he's in charge of the whole group, forget about it... he's just a big silent ball of tension and stress, he would not be enjoying himself because he knows how chaotic that group is and they'll never do anything on time... 😭 I think he'd prefer more "relaxed" vacations like renting a cabin in the woods with a group of friends and hiking and exploring the area than really bustling "let's try to see everything we can in three countries in three weeks," but it really depends on the context!

Trouble: he tends to be very slapdash and lackadaisical, he's a firm believer of "you'll get there when you get there" so you should be prepared for missed trains, stopping in an interesting bar and getting a beer and missing out on that exhibit that closes at 4 PM; he kind of just does what feels right in the moment and doesn't formulate strong plans ahead of time, he's easygoing and will go along with whatever you want but he's also spontaneous, so be sure you have room in your schedule for that! He likes pretty much anything, from sightseeing to bar-hopping and food tours, but he's not a big fan of lounging around a pool or hanging out in a hotel room for more than a day!

Tallys: she prefers quiet, relaxed vacations, so beach resorts where you can just chill or lounge by the pool, ski resorts and cabin retreats, that sort of thing, are her favorites. She's okay with more lively vacations, especially in historical cities (so she'd love seeing the museums in Europe, that kind of thing), but she's definitely not the take-charge kind of person, and if the group's plans don't align with her own, she's content with going off to do her own thing and then meeting up with everyone for lunch or dinner later! The one type of vacation she wouldn't like would be something like going to Disneyland or a theme park!

Shery: she likes any kind of vacation, and while she isn't necessarily "take-charge", she is extremely prepared and sort of like the group nurse, so she has her fanny pack and you can ask her throughout the day for Advil, tampons, glasses cleaner, what have you, and she's got you covered! She's a little bit of a scheduling fiend in that she can create itineraries weeks ahead of time, charting out each activity down to the minute, with loads of research and reviews and links included, but the problem is, she can email this itinerary out to everybody but can't really enforce it... she lacks the volume to force everyone to adhere to the schedule, but it is still extremely useful, and she has lists of restaurants and eateries and hotels for any situation!

Riel: he doesn't want to deal with the stress of the group while on vacation, so he's very likely to book his own (first-class) flight and hotel room and is like "well if I see you there, I'll see you, goodbye 🚶🏻🧳". Basically he's very independent and disinterested in organizing his schedule around everyone else; if he's traveling with just you, then that's all right, but you should expect that he's the one in charge of all of your activities, in that case. He also has a bad habit of squeezing in work as much as he can, even on vacation, so if he goes silent, just know that he's busily typing away on his laptop or has stepped outside to take a phone call and just accept that's how it is 😭 he will ONLY vacation to somewhere urban like a major city or tourist destination, or MAYBE to a very wealthy summer chateau, but you will never get him to go to, like, the Grand Canyon or anything like that

Chase: he's kind of the social lubricant where, if someone is feeling stressed or the schedule seems too intense, he can kind of tune in to different people's needs and wants and propose compromises that make everyone happy. He isn't really a planner and leaves that up to other people, but he can supplement where the itinerary doesn't have answers: so if there's a museum tour scheduled that day but everyone seems a bit hungover or tired or not as into it, he might cannily suggest taking a boat ride and saving the museum for tomorrow. He always seems to "know a guy" or have a friend who lives in that destination, no matter how remote, and he always seems to be able to find the hidden gems that the locals love that don't show up on the tourist websites. He's very laidback and unshakeable on vacations, just like always!

Red: he's the one who shows up to the airport three hours early, printed out his tickets as a backup in case his phone dies, and keeps all of his relevant paperwork in a manila folder in his messenger bag. He carries around a little pocketbook full of useful phrases (if traveling to a foreign country) as well as sites of interest. He's always the most excited to learn about the history and culture of places, so he prefers vacations to cities and historical sites over beach vacations or theme parks, though he's okay with those too! He's not typically "the one in charge" but definitely has input in what gets done that day!

Ayla: she's very loose, very unscheduled, but very adamant about thoroughly exploring the hidden side streets and going as off the beaten path as she can. Itineraries are dumb! Life is about unpredictability, adventure, discovery! She doesn't want any timetables holding her back. She wants things to be so flexible that she can get 100% lost in a random undermarket in the city and emerge 6 hours later, dirty, footsore, and starving, and descend on the most elusive little unnamed foodcart and have the best meal of her life. No schedules!! If traveling with a group, she'll often go off on her own if they're not interested in poking around like she is, but she'll always manage to find them later! 

Briony: she's the one who's just excited to be there and plays the part of the wide-eyed tourist, definitely falling for every tourist trap and gimmick, no matter how silly or mundane. Kiss the Blarney stone?? She has to!! Take a horse carriage in Central Park?? She saw it in a movie, she will die if she can't! The most important things to her is that everyone has a good time, so she's happy doing whatever everyone else wants to do, and that she can capture the memories by taking lots and lots and LOTS of video and pictures! She tries to keep it unobtrusive, but she is definitely the main one stopping the entire group for pictures in front of monuments and whatnot, even if they groan and roll their eyes. She also takes care to keep notes on exactly what they did each day, so no one can ever say "what was that restaurant we tried on the third day, the one with the squid?..." and have no one that can remember!

Lavinet: she's there to relax, take beautiful pictures (often of herself), drink, and party! Sure, shopping and sightseeing can have their turn, but she's happiest lounging at a five-star resort, getting a massage at the spa, and sipping away at a daiquiri. Another must for her is going out to nightclubs and bars at night! That's her ideal vacation, and she's content to stay back at the hotel or do something more relaxing if everyone wants to do something more strenuous and she doesn't feel like it or is tired! She also loves to document the journey through pictures and social media, and is a little high-maintenance in that she'll refuse to go to restaurants that don't have certain amenities, etc.!

I've seen you mention these before when you talk about the novels, but can you elaborate on the difference between glyphs and airships? 

Sure! In the world of the novels, when magical tech (called spell technology) was commonplace, there were two main types of aircraft, but these were kind of a state secret and were used exclusively by either powerful or elite Mages or by the Shepherds, who were the ones who further developed the base designs for combat use. In the timeline of the novels, they hadn't been made available to other races or cultures yet, and until quite late in the series, the majority of the public (outside of Mage cities) wasn't even aware of their existence!

Glyphs were small, one-seater fighter crafts used either for aerial combat or for really fast, short-distance transportation, almost like the motorcycles of the air. You could use one to zip over from Haven to Ambryn, but you could never use it for long-distance travel, such as over the Shield Peaks or to the coast, especially because their "batteries" (charged lodestones or crystals) didn't hold a lot of magical charge and had to be recharged by Mages in airship ports. 

While most were powered by crystal engines or lodestones, a select few were powered by a combination of lodestone and bound spirit. These were the most effective fighter craft because the spirit could take over piloting while the pilot focused on battle. (Think R2-D2 plugging into an X-wing and taking over the flying while Anakin focused on shooting or physically got out of the ship.) However, they were also much finickier than the average glyph because the bound spirit had to respect and bond with their respective pilot in order to have a harmonious partnership (the pilot often not being the Mage who actually summoned them and bound them to the craft), and each spirit had its own quirks and personalities. Like many spirits, they were happy to be confined to a vessel (like Vivek to his statue), probably doubly more so because they got to travel, fly around, and see the world. However, this also meant you couldn't leave them in the airship port for months at a time and had to come and interact with them, or they would become lonely! Kind of like a Tamagotchi or a Neopet... So not many pilots were up to using these glyphs; they made the best fighters, but they also came with a lot more responsibilities and maintenance!

Glyphs were not capable of reaching really insane heights (you could fly over a city and clear its tallest towers, but not much more than that). Airships, on the other hand, could! They were about the size of those big military helicopters that can fit like 30-50 people in them, or maybe like space shuttle-sized. However, while they were much bigger and could fit large groups or equipment and were capable both of very long distance (you could go from Thielwood to Conte without need to recharge), they were much slower than glyphs and more ponderous and unwieldy, similar to piloting a dirigible or hot air balloon. They were more prone to being influenced by the winds and bad weather, but again, if you had to get a big group of people somewhere far away, they were a pretty good mode of transportation! 

Both kinds of aircraft were also equipped with cloaking and shield spells! 

For this month's #tellmeeverything, can you tell us more about the iladrin and how it manifests on half-mages and hedgewitches? Is it connected to the strength of magic, so a Mage-Ket child whose power ended up being arma won't get it? Or can it appear under certain conditions (like the glow is only visible when using magic etc.)?

Hi there, good question! The iladrin rarely appears in half-Mages (depends on their magical talent and affinity), and never in hedgewitches. It is thought to be connected to a Mage's magical strength and inborn power, though there are some theories that it also has to do with purity or length of a Mage's bloodline (it was once used as a badge of prestige and pedigree, so that noble or highborn Mage families wouldn't let their heirs marry those who didn't sport the iladrin). However, nowadays, it's typically viewed as a measure of strength, though because many "average" Mages have it, it's more of a colloquial thing than a truly scientific test, and there are notable exceptions of powerful Mages not having it (quite rare but not impossible), or Mages who have it turning out to be not particularly special or strong (more common). It's pretty much just a genetic quirk at this point, but it is still an important part of Mage culture, and still an indicator of a Mage's heritage and power! 

Someone born with the iladrin always has the iladrin: it doesn't appear or disappear when using magic, etc.--unless someone is actively disguising theirs, of course! If an infant doesn't have it at birth, they'll never obtain it--sort of like a birthmark, in that way! And yes, a Mage-Ket child whose power ended up being solely arma (i.e. unable to use magic) wouldn't have the iladrin!

What are the RO’s (and Halek’s) blood types ?

A: Riel, Ayla

B: Briony, Lavinet, Shery

AB: Tallys, Red, Trouble

O: Chase, Blade, Halek

What are some elvish/kettish/ hunter terms of endearment? Are there any that are region-specific to wherever MC was raised?

MC came from very small places, so there isn't anything that's really specific only to their region, but here are some of the most common terms of endearment off of the top of my head:

Elan : Elvish, loosely means "treasured one" or "beloved," depending on the context. Can be used with romantic partners as well as family members, like "dear" or "love"

Komar : Elvish, loosely translates to "my pulse," i.e. the person I cannot live with, or the person who keeps me alive, etc. While this is purely romantic, it's sometimes not used in public since it's so intimate it's almost PDA-ish--like you wouldn't call each other this in front of your parents, since it's pretty intense.

_____ mai or marai: "Mai" or "marai" means "little" or "small," so it's common for someone to insert an Elvish word and then add "mai", as in "tlam marai": my little nut. It goes on: my little rabbit, my little pearl, my little bird, my little sun, etc.! 

Zakar and Tsuma : Kettish, a reference to the most popular and well-known epic poem and romantic play among the Ket, The Moon Maiden, in which a noble archer (Zakar) claims he can pierce a shooting star with an arrow. When he does so, the star Tsuma (also referred to as a moon maiden) falls to earth, and when Zakar tries to find the star to bring back evidence that he shot it, the two are so struck by each other's beauty that they fall instantly and madly in love. Despite the play's bittersweet ending, referring to your lover as your Zakar (archer) or your Tsuma (star) is a popular pet name and is sort of kind of like playfully/affectionately referring to each other as Romeo and Juliet, without the potentially cringey connotations. It's like the archer is the one who struck you full-force with the arrow of love so that you couldn't help but fall madly in love with them, and the star is so beautiful and high above that the archer can't believe their luck in getting to be with them. It's a bit old-fashioned, but viewed as very romantic among the Ket!

-ji, -tan, -bi, -o, -ai : The Ket of the northern states typically converse using a complex honorific system, at least when talking to each other in Kettish, and Ket married couples or long-term partners can apply romantic or affectionate honorifics to each other's names, with each honorific belying its own hidden meaning. -ji, -tan, and -bi are used exclusively after marriage and pretty much translate to "my beloved husband" or "my darling wife" or "my lovely spouse" in terms of intimacy, but you can play around with different honorifics at different times in the relationship to convey different things. -ji is generally used for men, -tan for women, and -bi for gender-neutral folks, but they can be swapped around according to what rolls off the tongue better without gender being much of an issue, or to be playful and cutesy. -o is less serious and can be used in a variety of affectionate contexts, ranging from kids wanting to be boyfriend and girlfriend on the playground to young adults in playful or casual relationships. It can also be applied to childhood friends in a playful or slightly flirtatious sense, it just depends on the context and isn't always strictly romantic! -ai is romantic and is used by people in fairly serious relationships (you wouldn't call someone you just started dating -ai), but you don't have to wait until you're married to use it, either!

Huunta and anta - translates loosely to "my shield" and "my crack." Sounds pretty unromantic and unappealing at the most literal level LOL, but it more means "my protector/my guardian" and "my weakness," I.E. the crack in my armor/my vulnerability, the one thing I'm weak for, the person that will undo me, etc. Used extremely sparingly, since some superstitious people think these terms might invite bad luck!

Swela - Uth (Hunter), translates to "honey drop", it's like calling someone "sweetie pie" or "sugarcube," someone who's sweet and lovely and pure. Used between couples and considered very mushy!

Hri and hahn - Uth (Hunter) translates roughly to "doe" and "stag," it's kind of like evoking "come here little lady" and "come here you big hunk/my big strong man" and is fairly dated, but still popular among the Reach! It's kind of flirtatious and playful and often used as a come-on! Like if you were waiting for your lover in the kitchen with nothing but an apron on, you'd call out, "Where are you, hahn?" etc.!

Corbai ezan - Uth (Hunter) translates to "my sky," AKA my everything, my whole world. Very romantic and it would be pretty crazy to use this with someone who wasn't your spouse or someone you hadn't spent at least four years of your life with, so not a casual term to throw around! 

-let or -ling - Mages often add -let or -ling to the ends of words to denote it as a cutesy term of affection, and sometimes this is romantic or flirtatious. Norms can do this, too! Common affixations tends to be like "Magelet" or "sweetling," that kind of thing! 

do the recruits ship other shepherds officers like they might mc and their ro?? what are some of the other rumors about everyone else?

The recruits ship everybody with everybody, since they're all such hot messes, drama queens, and horndogs, they assume all of the superior officers are mired in similar drama, too! The Shepherd captains are like their Barbie dolls and you can always find at least one recruit who is ADAMANT that so-and-so pairing are destined for each other (or at least secretly sleeping together). Anyone who spends any amount of time together, regardless of compatibility or even sexuality, is shipped by someone. Blade x Trouble, Blade x Tallys, Trouble x Tallys, Tallys x Shery, Shery x Riel, Riel x Chase, Chase x Lavinet, Chase x Red, Trouble x Chase, Trouble x Halek, Tallys x Halek, Blade x Briony, Blade x Red, Red x Briony, Lavinet x Briony, Lavinet x Ayla, Ayla x Trouble, Ayla x Shery, Riel x Red, Blade x Trouble x Chase x Red, Tallys x Lavinet, Tallys x Riel, Lavinet x Halek, Briony x Shery, everyone x MC... it's all there...

Some of the rumors floating around about the others include: Shery is secretly an erotica writer; Riel is the creator of the trading cards of the Shepherds floating around; Lavinet has an evil twin sister named Prihinet (somehow bungled Prihine's name badly) who wants to replace her; Halek has an evil TRIPLET; the Hunters of the Reach hunt people and eat them for sport and all of Halek's dishes include LONG PORK and that's why he's always so keen to cook; Ayla's powers include controlling her farts, having really explosive farts, and general other abilities conducted through passing wind; Trouble has fake eyeballs, like they're made of glass; Chase is actually a moniker employed by several different people and there isn't just one Chase; Red's hair was dyed permanently as the result of an alchemical accident; Briony has an excess of energy that will cause her to go on a murderous rampage if she doesn't get enough exercise, much like how a husky or hyperactive dog must be tired out before being left at home alone, lest the furniture get torn up; a single strand of Blade's hair can be used as a weapon, like the quills of a porcupine, and that's why it's so pointy and sharp looking. Etc., etc.... 

Spoilers

what. did. chase. say. in. his. room. scene. (when the MC was falling asleep)

"...You're really fixing to get me into trouble, aren't you, sweetheart?..." 

[You can sub in sunshine for sweetheart if you want, I haven't quite decided on which one he said yet]

If the MC becomes a commander, can they use their own money to pay for shepherd related expenses or atleast add on to the budget?

Nope, Shepherd finances and personal finances are totally separate! It would be like the Director of the FBI using his personal bank account to pay for office renovations or something, it's just a no-no with all of the budget and tax and treasury and donation stuff in the mix! Shepherd officers can use their money to supplement personal expenses like, if they're on the road and they want to a stay in a nicer inn than what their per diem allows for, or if they want to buy a nicer bed for their room in the compound, but they can't use their own money for stuff for the Order like that!

Could you please drop some more out of context snippets of what you’ve written for future chapters? I was literally obsessed with the ones you posted on tumblr

Hi there, sure, though I have to caution that these aren't snippets I've written for future chapters; these are dribs and drabbles that likely won't ever make it into the main game, so they're more deleted scenes or director's cut excerpts rather than something that's going to show up in the future! Or even non-canonical experiments that I'm toying with but haven't committed to!

All very random... I have a lot more, including one that's an exchange between Croelle and MC during his potential romance (from his POV) but I'm still letting that one marinate! I still have to get used to his headspace!

How would the crushing stage/falling in love compare between pre and post amnesia Briony? What differences would there be in terms of what she values/expects in a romantic relationship?

Great question! In terms of falling in love:

Pre-amnesia Briony: Pre-amnesia Briony definitely had her guard up and was a bit more cynical, so the idea of her falling in love was a pretty remote possibility in her mind, and she wasn't really actively looking for a relationship. She'd be much more likely to go for a friends with benefits/purely sexual relationship at first, like comrades-in-arms just blowing off steam together, and I think the idea of being vulnerable to her own feelings and what someone thought about her would threaten her own determination to be independent and fearless and her own person--so she would definitely try to hold the concept of "love" at arm's length! Honestly, probably the most successful ways of getting her to fall in love would be subversive and unexpected, things that would let her guard down until she had no choice but to acknowledge that she was growing feelings: a FWB relationship where she's "totally in control" or even a rivals-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers dynamic might work best on her, because by the time she figured out what was going on, it'd be too late! So it's basically like... the best chances came with blindsiding her with love. If she got a whiff of it too early, she'd probably be a little freaked out and take any excuse to peace out! 

Post-amnesia Briony: Post-amnesia Briony is much more open, vulnerable, and willing and eager to feel things: she's quite fearless because she hasn't had a lifetime of rejection or fear or whatever to jade her, so she welcomes love with open arms!!! Her primary concern/fear when it comes to falling in love is to misinterpret something (potentially out of her own naivety or lack of experience) and ruin a wonderful friendship, so while she's quite openly playful, flirtatious, or lovey-dovey, she tends to retreat under a "haha but we're just joking/play-flirting right??" when she senses things getting more serious or confusing, but mostly because she doesn't want to look stupid and is waiting for MC to make a definitive, unmissable move first. But this version of her is very passionate, honest, and free from her own reservations, so she'd be thrilled to fall in love and actively hopes it will happen for her someday, though she takes almost as much pleasure in seeing and helping others fall in love right now as well! She's also 1000% more likely to progress from friendship -> romance or even love at first sight, and is way less likely to participate in or want a FWB-style arrangement (she knows her heart is too fragile for something like that), and she wouldn't be as into an enemies-to-lovers type of dynamic!

In terms of what they expect from a relationship:

Pre-amnesia Briony: Elinden Briony placed a lot more emphasis on being respected, and a lot of her identity was built on a desire to prove herself and stand defiant against the wishes and expectations of others. So in a romantic relationship, she'd have been most compatible with someone who not only respected her immensely (both as a person and as a warrior), but also supported her desires to be independent and pursue her own path. This would mean a partner who unequivocally supported her if she, say, wanted to take on a dangerous mission or deploy for a few months to go undercover. Someone who believed in her without reservation and was her number 1 cheerleader... honestly, someone like a malewife or someone who praised and acknowledged her as an absolute warrior queen who can take of herself would have been the best fit for her! 

She also found people who were skilled fighters very sexy, so this likely would have been unconsciously her "type" as well: she likely wouldn't have been interested in a "civilian," but someone who was interested in and had a similar level of power or experience as her! This last part is probably true of post-amnesia Briony, as well, at least on a surface level, but post-amnesia Briony is also open to other types of personalities as well! Based on her past romances, she also seemed to be attracted to slightly older (usually 5-10 years), quiet/serious or slightly grizzled personality types, but this wasn't set in stone!

Post-amnesia Briony: it's more important to post-amnesia Briony that her partner is someone who is her equal and wants to do everything together with her, rather than someone who lets her have her professional independence and freedom. She obviously wants someone who respects and adores her, but it's less about her power being acknowledged and more about someone who can match her boundless enthusiasm for life and someone who openly loves her as much as she loves them. Someone who she has to coax or plead into doing things isn't a good fit for her: they don't have to be an extravert like she is, but they do have to be willing and adventurous and excited to travel or do new things rather than a homebody who is content with a limited routine. It's also very important for her that they're kind and generally well-liked, whereas that wouldn't have mattered as much to her in the past! (I think pre-amnesia Briony would have been attracted to someone who was courageous and unselfish, but their social graces would have mattered less to her.) Post-amnesia Briony would never be into someone who was rude or aggressive towards others! 

My favourite RO is Blade. The scene when we're returning from Lockwood and Blade has our mail is 10/10. So I have to ask, does the other shepherds find it amusing/frustrating to watch MC/Blade pretend not to be head over heels for each other? Is there bets going around for when they admit it?

At this point in the game, not everybody is totally aware of it, but the ones who do know find it mostly terribly amusing! 

- I'm not entirely sure if Trouble has figured it out, yet--I have to write more of Blade's day off scenes and figure out where the timelines match up, because as of his third day off scene, Trouble wouldn't know about it yet (Blade himself doesn't know it yet), but in the main story, I don't know by what chapter Trouble figures it out. 

- Chase knew on the way to Capra and is ENDLESSLY amused by it, but hasn't taken it upon himself to start trolling because he senses it's a delicate situation and doesn't want to bungle things up by meddling too early; he's only going to intercede/"give them a push together" if he senses they genuinely need help in that department or they're being dumb, so he hasn't really talked about it with anyone yet or given them a hard time about it. He's mostly just curious about how long it's going to take Blade to figure out the feelings he's experiencing aren't illness and random irrational bouts of nausea and fear!

- Tallys knew on Candle Day and has been WAITING, privately very amused, but she's only recently broached the subject with Shery, who was partially surprised, like, "You think so???" and partially like "Oh yeah that makes sense... but what are they going to do, he's the commander!! He made that rule!!" Like she hadn't actively thought about it, but looking back, it made total sense to her, and she's rooting for them! So they're both just observing for now! 

- Riel knew pretty much the instant they all met, or at least by the time MC comes talk to him on his first day off (if they've been actively on the romance path with Blade), but thought nothing of it and has no particular interest in keeping tabs on the relationship until it becomes publicly acknowledged... either it will happen or it won't, he'll deal with it then lol!

- I'm pretty sure Ayla is completely oblivious unless MC specifically has brought it up to her, like "Hey I like Blade, what do I do..." in which case she would be completely shocked, like, "HIM? Really??" 

- Red probably noticed shortly after Capra (probably more quickly if he's MC's ex and Blade was acting jealous when they met up again), but mostly doesn't think of it or stays out of it unless MC comes to him specifically seeking his advice on the matter! He's a cheerleader on the sidelines like "good luck!!!" but he's not invested enough to place bets or give them a nudge or anything, he's not like agonizing over whether they'll get together or not, it's their business!

- Briony is #1 shipper (especially if MC tells her about it of their own accord) and is literally VIBRATING with excitement and impatience every time she sees Blade and MC interacting, she canNOT keep her cool and internally is like *squealing screaming throwing up* AHHHHHHHH *whisper-shouting* did you see him smiling at you?? he likes you omg you're going to have such beautiful babies!!! MC desperately mouthing back shut up shut tf up while Briony is like sobbing into her hands out of sheer embarrassment from how awkward they're being with each other... she's definitely like "so Blade... why don't you and MC go on patrol together... and you should lend her your cloak, I think she might be coming down with something!!!"

- Lavinet is picking up on a little something something and is definitely very intrigued to see how it all plays out, but since she just got there, she's still ascertaining the social situation so she's not like waiting on tenterhooks unless MC specifically tells her that she has a crush on Blade or brings it up, in which case Lavinet is going to set her sights on playing matchmaker with Briony quite soon!

Hi Lena! I hope you're doing well. I finally got around to reading Chase's two short stories (which hurt so good) and I was wondering if Chase still has any of his burn scars from when he tossed the fire flask? Or are those some he's had healed fully! Thanks <3

Hi there, thank you, and I hope you're doing well as well! <3 And good question: Chase has had all of the scars from that incident healed, including the burn scars and the rope mark around his neck! He doesn't want any reminder of that day on his person, basically. The only one I'm not sure about is a gunshot wound he got in the aftermath; I'm still exploring his headspace on that, so I don't know if that one's canonically still there or not yet!

You’ve mentioned that Chase generally gets up and does his nighttime ambling after having a night with a FWB MC instead of staying in bed with them, but what about Tallys? Does she stay or go, and is there a certain point pre-confession where she will start staying to cuddle w/ MC? 

Tallys typically stays in bed with MC until morning, because for her, waking up with them is not an intimacy directly connected to a romantic relationship, or she's not as worried about keeping an emotional distance as Chase is. Basically, her reasons for FWB are motivated through pragmatism and casual experience, like, I'm not looking for a relationship, I'm just pretty confident we can blow off steam together and remain good friends and coworkers [narrator: she was wrong], whereas Chase has actual emotional baggage and trauma that he's bringing into the equation, so he deliberately takes steps to make the whole friends-with-sex thing clear, especially when he starts catching feelings. Tallys doesn't care about preventing that as much (she is just surprised when it happens, but mostly accepts it), so she doesn't fuss about whether she and MC wake up together; she just goes with whatever feels good and natural and has faith that it will be fine either way! The only thing is that Tallys has to perform her dawn prayers every day at dawn, so if MC isn't planning on waking up around that time or doesn't want to be woken, Tallys will slip out to do those, and then go back to her room and start her day. If they tell her they want her to wake them up before she goes, though, she'll do that: she doesn't mind either way!

What was Red thinking the morning after their room sharing scene? When romancing them, they were really quiet and avoiding the MC.

I think he was just reallllly overthinking what happened and a bit dazed by it all, lol, like "I think that went well. Wait, did it go well? Did I interpret everything correctly? That was so awkward when we were interrupted by the kids. And when they shouted at us not to kiss. Nothing like a warning from a twelve-year-old to remind you you're in a children's bedroom. Oh god. And they asked if we were married. That whole thing was not my brightest idea. I should have waited for better circumstances. That was so awkward. Why did I do that." Basically he was just cringing at everything that had happened, but also was feeling pleased, but then wondering if he really should be all that pleased since they got interrupted in such a memorable fashion! So he was just in his own head, and he's also not super talkative when getting ready for the day anyway, he doesn't really wake up until breakfast!

NSFW

Does sex work differently for other races besides the Elementals?

Well, they all have the same--the parts--the process is exactly the same across all five main races, if that's what you mean! There are some very slight differences that tend to be spread more through rumor than as tested scientific fact: Ket men have reduced refractory periods and longer/more,,, physically intense,,, orgasms in comparison to males of other races, while Elves tend to have higher libidos but lower fertility rates, as well as tend to prefer much longer and drawn-out sessions than what would be considered average (several hours at a time). They also typically prefer tantric-style/edging types of sex! And there's a common belief that Hunters have a slightly higher pain tolerance than other races, though this isn't proven biological fact: this has led to a stereotype that Hunters often tend to be into mixing pain with pleasure, bondage and light torture roleplaying kind of stuff--but that's more of a joke about their culture (that sometimes turns out to be true) rather than, again, a true anatomical difference. Anatomy-wise and process-wise, sex is pretty much identical for all of the human-shaped races of the Children of Light!  

can we add the Hunter twins and Croelle to the bj question from October?

Hi there, in the future, if you could copy-paste the previous question you're referring to, that would really help! In this case, it was this one: how do the male r/os act while receiving a blowjob/head?

Halek: he's a big fan of oral, and something about it brings out his dominant side, so he'd be a bit rough and controlling (if his partner was okay with that), grabbing their hair and controlling the pace or giving them verbal commands about how he likes it!

Naolin: sadly (?), he'd be very weak to oral, I don't think he could stand it for more than a minute before making his partner stop for fear of finishing too quickly 😔

Croelle: I think he'd be a bit skittish about oral at first, like what are you doing, what is this *yanks MC up* but only because he knows he'll like it too much and he doesn't want to give them that power over him yet. Over time it becomes a way to pacify him, like if they're arguing but then MC coyly slides to their knees, he sort of mutters "ugh damn it, don't act like this is over" and acts all "reluctant" but immediately sits back to enjoy the show. He'd be quite dominant as well, forceful but also obviously excited. I don't think it would be his favorite way to finish, though, but a very effective method of foreplay!

If the ROs were to roleplay a fantasy (like sexy nurse, etc), which one would they pick?

Ignoring the awkwardness and truly bad acting of some of these people lol, let's just pretend they're miraculously okay at it and into the idea of roleplay!

Blade: boss/employee or CEO/secretary 😳

Trouble: honeypot spy/unwitting target

Tallys: massage therapist

Shery: sexy librarian

Riel: interrogator/prisoner 

Chase: strangers meeting for the first time in a luxe hotel or sleazy bar (complete with elaborate backstories)

Red: teacher/student, after-school detention. Easy.

Ayla: yoga/fitness instructor and client

Briony: maid/employer or possibly pretend exhibitionism (like a couple in a hotel room knowing they're being spied on, etc.) 

Lavinet: princess/servant or queen/knight, some variation of royalty and forbidden romance

Halek: sexy tortured priest