Author Answers (November) (Patreon)

General

the shepherds host a friendsgiving! what does everyone bring and how edible is it?

Ooh, I love the idea of this, so cozy! 🦃

Blade: he brought the dinner rolls. Store-bought, can't mess up :')

Trouble: he brought grilled corn on the cob that he made himself! Simple, but tasty!

Tallys: she brought the potato dishes: mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes (though no marshmallows on top, she's philosophically against that). They're hearty, organic, and delicious!

Shery: she brought the desserts: homemade pumpkin pie, a homemade cheesecake for the people who didn't want pumpkin pie, as well as the pretty table settings and decorations!

Riel: he brought some bottles of wine lol. Very expensive!

Chase: he brought the ingredients to make cocktails for those who didn't want wine lol! He's the evening's personal mixologist~

Red: he brought the cornbread and glazed carrots :') he just followed the instructions on the box for the cornbread, but hey, no one complains!

Ayla: she brought store-bought frosted sugar cookies and paper napkins lol

Briony: she made cupcakes (not very edible) because she wanted to bake a dessert too (🥹) and a bruschetta/grazing board for an appetizer. It looks very pretty (she followed pictures on Pinterest) but the food is just a bit so-so, she wasn't counting on the bread getting soggy from pre-assembling it all at home... 😭

Lavinet: she brought candles, champagne and cider lmao

Halek: he insisted on making the turkey, gravy, and stuffing. He's crazy about Thanksgiving. Think Bob from Bob's Burgers if you're familiar with his Thanksgiving obsession lol! And it's all absolutely bomb and a smash hit!!!

Hi Lena! Glad to hear you’re feeling better! Got a little bit of a corny one and a little bit of a horny one for ya:  What is everyone most thankful for?  (Bonus points for what they would say if asked and what it really is, if it differs)

Hi kingdom, thank you! <3 And ooh, good question! (I'll answer the second part of it below in the NSFW section) 

Blade: he's thankful for the low casualty rates and better, more efficient infrastructure this year (which is true, but he's also thankful for where he is in life in general and for the Shepherds at large, but good luck getting him to admit that, even to himself lol)

Trouble: he's thankful for his friends... and that's 100% true!

Tallys: she's thankful that everyone made it out in good health this year (she's also grateful for Quel-Qanaeon if MC managed to save it lol)--she's also quietly thankful the apparent regathering of Gifted strength and magic in the world, like the resurgence of the Old Faith, the return of the Elementals, and the other things she's been observing this year!

Shery: she's thankful for a lot of things, like her church and her job, but first and foremost she's thankful for everyone's health and happiness! (this is usually at the forefront of her anxious mind at all times, as she notes in her first character interlude) 

Riel: he's thankful for being able to become Commander-Seneschal while also maintaining a hand in the Merchants Guild via Aerin--he basically got everything he's ever wanted, professionally 😁 (and he's also grateful for the Shepherds and having gotten to meet everyone and whateverrrr uhghhg) also he's grateful for quality quill-makers. Life would be hell without them. (It would be splotch city, Aerin. Splotch city!)

Chase: he's thankful that he's remained as attractive as ever 🙂 thank God, right? (he's also thankful to have met the Shepherds, but also it causes him some conflicting emotions, so we're just not going to get into all that, lol)

Red: he's thankful that he got the Veiled Circle safely to Haven and incorporated into the Shepherds, and to have sanctuary from the Autarchy so they can freely practice magic again!... and for all the new friends he's made and for his family, of course!...

Ayla: she's thankful she's still alive and breathing. 😐 (and... ugh... for new friends and the Shepherds or whatever... 🤢)

Briony: HER NEW FRIENDSSSS <3 She's thankful for all of the memories they've shared together, and she can't wait for many more! 🥰 (She's also thankful to, you know, not be a slave of the arena anymore, but that pretty much goes without saying) 

Lavinet: she's thankful that Lockwood is safe (depending on what happened in Chapter 6 lol) and that she could leave it relatively guilt-free while she explores new horizons and gets to live in Haven and join the Sun Court and learn new things and not be married...! And for meeting such inspiring new friends and fresh perspectives, of course!

Halek: he's thankful to not be married to Moonsilk... yet 😭 (and for Naolin for being able to lead the Reach in his stead, and for the Shepherds, who treat him like a normal person, but he won't say that last part)

It's that wonderful time of month again.  Is there an equivalent of girlfriends stealing hoodies in Blest? And if so how would the victi- I mean ROs react to it?

Hmm, I don't think there's a direct 1-1 equivalent to hoodie-stealing in Blest, aside from girlfriends wearing their lovers' coats, but that's usually freely offered as a gentlemanly move on cold nights rather than a byproduct of sneakiness and cohabitation, lol. I think the closest would be stealing a tunic/large shirt to sleep in or walk around the house in, which all of the male ROs (except Riel) would find very attractive and would be very pleased to share! Riel would likely tolerate it if you were of a similar size, but he's quietly relegating that shirt as "yours" now lol, he'll buy a new one for himself and you can have that one XD

Happy November! A question for you please and thank you: obviously we know Trouble’s reaction to Lazu Reen making sexual comments at a romanced MC (talk shit, get hit bud) and I’m pretty sure you’ve answered how Blade would handle the situation in a previous Q&A session but how would the other ROs react? Thank you! Hope you have a good thanksgiving if you celebrate it!

Thank you, happy November and a great Thanksgiving to you as well! I don't have to do anything but eat someone else's food, so I'm definitely going to be enjoying it! 😊🤰🏻

Blade: (copied from the other post) He would have given Lazu Reen 2 warnings, like, "Stop talking. Now." Normally that's enough to deter most people, but if the comments had persisted, he would have moved fast enough to twist Lazu's wrist to a wall or table, put his blade against his palm point-down, and said softly, "Last warning. Apologize, or lose this hand."

The difference between him and Trouble is that he wouldn't have started swinging and caused an all-out brawl, he would have gone for the head of the serpent immediately and made it clear the stakes involved, which would have led to a quieter confrontation and lack of jail-time, lol. He also would have made it clear that if Lazu told anyone about their little quarrel, Blade would hunt him down personally and hang his entrails from his doorway, and no one ever doubts Blade when he says that. :D

Trouble: talk shit, get hit

Tallys: she tends to avoid outright confrontation, so she most likely would have remained calm and told MC to ignore Lazu Reen, as his words "amount to less than the squealings of a pig" and should be treated accordingly. Basically, to her, not rising to the bait and treating the offender like they're beneath her notice is the worst sting of all

Shery: she would have gotten extremely upset and quiet and would have shut down out of anger and frustration, but she likely wouldn't confronted Lazu Reen directly unless he really pushed her beyond her limit, in which case she'd probably burst out with a lecture that was only half comprehensible. She probably would have cried out of frustration about her inability to stand up to him later! And probably Trouble or someone would have gotten hunting on her behalf (without her asking lol)

Riel: he's quietly taking notes in his head. MC thinks he doesn't react to the incident because he just ignores Lazu Reen and treats him like meaningless trash, but he's definitely going to be orchestrating something... unpleasant... to happen to him later in a way that can't be traced directly back to Riel lol

Chase: he would have cheerfully gone up to Lazu Reen and engaged in such jolly banter with him that Lazu would have been thrown off and confused by his energy. Like slinging his arm around his shoulder and saying in a chipper tone, "Look, buddy, I know your life is pathetic and you want to make everyone to feel as pitiable as you, but surely there's a better way to spend your time?" This tends to be his MO because his tone misdirects people from the actual content of his words... Most of the time the person just sort of withdraws, embarrassed because Chase isn't matching their energy, but if it escalates, Chase usually just like pickpockets their belt so that their pants fall down or they trip and faceplant or something

Red: he would have tried to civilly (though firmly and annoyedly) tell Lazu Reen to leave them alone, like saying in a forced, semi-polite tone something along the lines of, "We're not doing anything to bother you, so if you could just go about your day, we'll--" and probably would have gotten decked in the face, realistically lol. He would have fought back gamely and has fair chance of winning due to his combat experience and longer reach, but I think Lazu Reen was also a professional street-fighter and is known for fighting dirty, so... 

Ayla: She would have lowered her head and charged into Lazu Reen's midriff like one of these dinosaurs before he even got his second sentence out

Briony: Lazu gets three chances, because she's trying to control her temper and knows how messy things get when she loses it. Realistically I feel like it would be MC who warned him LOL, like "you do not want to keep talking..." Lazu: "Oh yeah, slag?? And what are you going to--" 

Briony: 

Realistically, one punch from her is all it takes to send a message; she doesn't even have to say anything. She usually aims for a wall or a table just to demonstrate how much you should shut up now, and that'd had a 100% success rate so far, but if for some reason Lazu Reen had a death wish, she'd start swinging for real lol

Lavinet: I think it would depend on MC's reaction! If MC didn't seem that bothered by it, Lavinet would just keep sipping her drink airily and talking about (but not to) Lazu in the most condescending way possible, like, "No matter one goes, there are always the little pests and gnats intent on ruining your good time... *pointed sip*" She never actually acknowledges him, which can actually be quite crippling from Lavinet, she's very good at making you feel small. Or, if MC looked bothered/uncomfortable, she'd probably slap down her gloves, stand abruptly, and challenge Lazu Reen to an old-fashioned formal duel to shut him up lol. "That's it! I challenge you, sir, for slighting the honor of my friend. Choose your second at once!" 

How would the ROs react if in MC told them “You wanna kiss (or fuck 👀) me so bad it makes you look stupid!” during an argument ??

I've 100% answered this one before but probably in like 2018 and Tumblr's search function is so ass lol so here it goes (assuming they've just been in a flirting romance path, not an official relationship):

Blade: this would short-circuit his brain. The man is wholly flabbergasted. He would probably just shut up and stare at them for several minutes in silence before just turning around and storming off (fleeing) lol

Trouble: "Wha--I--where did you--that has nothing to do with this!!" Totally thrown off-course, he would probably stammer a bunch more and then also act like he's just "done with this dumb argument" and charge off with a huge blush on his face lol. He'd probably go hide and sulk under some covers until he cooled off for a long while

Tallys: She'd probably just fire right back without blinking an eye like "Says the person who can't even stay more than an inch away from me even when we're arguing!" 

Shery: can you imagine arguing with Shery to the point where you'd have to yell this at her 😭😭 I can't even imagine her putting enough of a fight for MC to hit her with this out-of-pocket response, but if they somehow did, she'd probably just go dead silent... she'd probably be mortified that she was so obvious that she got called out for it, but would also find it totally irrelevant in the midst of an argument and would mostly just be really confused lol

Riel: ! Moral outrage and shock! His feathers are ruffled! His gasts are flabbered! He is aghast! He won't even deign to continue this absurd line of conversation...! (Probably the only time you could ever get Riel Syndran to shut up during a fight lol I don't even know how he'd recover. He'd probably smooth down his suit jacket and say something like 'Come talk to me when you're ready to have a rational conversation' and stalk off lol coward)

Chase: He'd probably kiss them lol angry makeout time!!!

Red: This is factually true but... they think he looks stupid? 🥹 He is intellectually wounded but this would make him ruefully pull back and reevaluate his actions and acknowledge he was getting over-heated, like, "okay... I probably do look stupid... I think we're both getting a little heated right now..." and he'd probably calm down and try to stop fighting lmao

Ayla: "NO, YOU!!!!" (basically "I know you are, but what am I?!?!" She'd keep hollering lol, the significance of this wouldn't dawn on her until much later)

Briony: she's very passionate and feisty in the heat of the argument, so the romantic/sexual tension element of it probably wouldn't register with her at first, she'd be like "You leave that part out of this, I'm still arguing about [this thing] right now!!!" She'd basically view it as them trying to fight dirty and derail the argument and she's too determined to win to let that distract her lol

Lavinet: this would most likely offend her XD she'd feel like they're holding her attraction to them over her head/mocking her, so she'd probably clam up and turn frostily silent and like detach from the argument and give them the cold shoulder for a few days lol, no one throws her attraction to them in her face and gets away with it!

are the ROs more prone to jealousy or possessiveness? And which do they find more attractive in a partner?

Hi, I recommend checking out the #jealousy tag on Tumblr, it talks a lot about the ROs and their respective levels of jealousy/possessiveness, both in general and in certain specific situations, as well as how they'd react to MC being jealous as a partner! I'm not totally sure of the distinction between jealousy and possessiveness here--to me they're rooted in the same emotion, just different "degrees" of displaying it outwardly? Like being jealous of MC spending time with a romantic rival is what I think of as "jealousy"--the root emotion--while actively acting on it and telling MC they can't spend time with that person or guarding MC from that person or scaring that person off might be "possessive" (the action)? I think of possessiveness as "jealousy with a dash of controlling." I guess, if we're going by my definition, none of the ROs except Croelle are outright "possessive": they might vocalize feelings of discomfort or establish boundaries if in a relationship with MC and in certain scenarios (like they feel like someone has inappropriate intentions or they find the dynamic between them and MC disrespectful), but I wouldn't call that classically possessive. For the ones who are prone to jealousy and those who aren't, that's in the tag! 

I don't know that any of them would find possessive behavior attractive, but I think Blade, Trouble, Tallys, Shery, Riel, Chase, Red, and Ayla would probably find jealousy cute (depending on how it manifested--not like crazy paranoid controlling behavior lol) whereas Lavinet and Briony would probably find it more hot!

Fun fact about Prihine and, uh, cats?

Out of all animals, Prihine likes/tolerates cats the most! When she was younger, she was secretly very fond of a kitten that had been gifted to one of her sisters (which the sister didn't care much for) but would only secretly play with it/give it attention when no one was looking; to everyone else, she seemed indifferent or acted like she disliked it, possibly because she was too prideful to be seen getting attached to something that wasn't hers and thought she'd be mocked for it! (So... not that fun, lol, but it probably means she'll end up adopting her own cat someday when her life settles down more and she starts to consider quieter forms of companionship! Right now she's caught up in the glamor of being a young, up-and-coming courtier riding the wave of attention following her husband's fall from grace!)

Hi Lena! I'm glad you are feeling better. Please continue to take it easy okay?   For this month Q&A, it's a bit sily(?). I came by an artical title "Medieval 'love motto' gold ring found near Frinton".  They found a golden right with motto engraved in French, which means "I desire to serve you".  So how are the Romanced!Ros + Halek and Prihine react when MC gave them a ring with this motto engraved on it?

Thank you, Rynna! <3 And ooh, interesting question! If you haven't seen the tag on #poesy rings, this is actually similar to something that can happen in the game! 🥰 

Blade: he would appreciate this, but he'd also be shook because he desires to serve MC, not the other way around... so he'd probably have a matching ring for MC made so he could give it to them! XD

Trouble: pretty much the same as Blade, he'd be quite excited to receive a gift like this from MC, but once he registered the motto, he'd clumsily try to insist that they should be wearing it, not him, because that's how he feels about them... they'd probably take it as him rejecting their gift and it would be a whole big thing where he'd have to go get them their own and explain himself better at a later date lol

Tallys: she'd love it and treasure it! She'd get MC a ring as a gift as well, though it would probably have a different engraving on it!

Shery: she would treasure this forever... it'd be the most romantic fucking thing to ever happen to her, she'd probably die of happiness 

Riel: he'd be into this LOLLL they'd probably end up banging that night

Chase: assuming they're in an FWB (or even if in an actual romantic relationship) I think he would be so thrown off by this (and sincerely touched, but also startled... foreign emotions!! vulnerability!! scary!!) that he'd be a bit light-hearted about it upon receiving it, like "you want to serve me, huh?... did you have anything in mind? 👀" But inwardly he'd be very touched and he'd wear it always... and he'd probably give MC the most selfless, tender, intense night of passion of their lives right afterward XD

Red: I think he'd be touched and pleased by this, as he would with any gift or ring he got from MC! He'd thank them sincerely and shower them with kisses... though he'd be a bit embarrassed about showing the motto to anyone else and would just keep it to himself lol, it's quite an intense declaration and Pan and Neon would definitely tease him for it!

Ayla: I think she'd be slightly overwhelmed by the intensity of the gesture, but she'd be overall very pleased--she just wouldn't know how to react at first and would come off a bit awkward, like "*scowling* What's that mean, exactly? What do you mean by serving?" But she'd show her gratitude in other ways, so an MC who's her partner would know she was very happy with it!

Briony: she'd jump up and down and squeal with excitement and happiness and glee, she'd LOVE it and wear it always and proudly show it off to anyone who asked... she'd adore this as a gesture!

Lavinet: this would make her so hot lol this is something straight out of one of her romance novel fantasies and she's SO here for it... MC's about to get treated so well in so many different ways... 😅 This is a green flag of the highest degree for her!

Prihine: she'd act a bit cool about this on the surface because that's her way, like admiring it and saying haughtily, "Oh, it's very nice" and not giving much of an outward reaction, but inside she'd be melting and fangirling, like 😍

Halek: this would make him a bit uncomfortable, he appreciates the ring and the gesture, but he doesn't really want any "serving" dynamic to their romantic relationship, he wants them to be equals (especially because of the whole "being sol" thing). He wouldn't say so outwardly though and would just thank MC for the nice gift and appreciate the general thought!

Spoilers

If in the MC’s place during Heth Macoll, which shepherds would spare Nathe, and which would defeat him for the purpose of the mission?

Here!

What prompted Cybele to join the Sheperds and how did her family react?

I think I might have answered this one before (somewhere), but she essentially joined up after a bad breakup drove her to leave the family farm to come to Haven (possibly chasing after/seeking reconciliation with her ex); when that didn't happen, she sort of decided to join up with the Shepherds on impulse because the thought of going back to the farm in shame depressed her, and she was seeking change to distract her as well as give her more meaning and purpose in her life. It was sort of her "cutting off all my hair and reinventing myself post-breakup" moment, lol, or maybe the "I'm so morose about this that I'm going to quit my job and backpack through Europe for a year/join the Peace Corps/sign up for the military" dramatic move you sometimes see from people in mild crisis lol? It kind of explains why she's sort of lackadaisical and doesn't take training very seriously at first, anyway, although many Shepherds have similar motivations for signing up as her... at least at first! 

As for how her family reacted, they were sort of just either blankly dumbfounded or skeptical, like imagine getting that letter home like "Guess what, Mom and Dad? I've decided to join the Shepherds and dedicate my life to demon-fighting!!!" Her parents were like ".......what? are you insane? Stop playing around and come home!" but they've resignedly accepted it by now. Her siblings were just incredulous/skeptical, either like "okayyyy I give her three months before she drops out and comes moping home" or like "the Shepherds?? Okay, pull the other leg! 🙄 Just another one of Cyb's tall tales... She's probably a courier who sometimes delivers messages for the Shepherds, lol!"

So i have two questions on my mind but you choose between the two if you don't want to do both. First, i know it's not possible due to story reasons but how would Tallys feel about an MC that is just a Norm and tries to romance her? The most recent chapter shows just how much she despises Norms so I'm curious if anything would change for her regarding the MC or if she'd double down on her stance with Norms?

Because Tallys is perfectly capable of being very good friends with Norms (like Trouble, Shery, and Riel), I think an MC who became friends with her first -> and then they ended up falling in love organically wouldn't have an insane amount of trouble about it. Tallys's guard would probably be way more up at first, and she likely wouldn't have made the first move/proposed being FWB to MC first as easily as she does in the game, and she would have massive reservations about the even shorter lifespan thing, but her catching feelings without really expecting to wouldn't be impossible! However, I think an MC who approached her with the intention of romancing her right away would have faced a summary rejection and lack of interest right off of the bat. They'd have to work hard at getting past her defenses and lowering her guard first if they wanted things to turn romantic successfully; but if, say, a random Norm recruit approached Tallys and tried to romance her right after meeting her for the first time, it would be a deadpan "no," precisely because of that wariness and guardedness she feels. Others like Trouble, Shery, and Riel were treated very politely by her at first, as with all strangers, but it was only after she actually got to know them and gained respect for them that they become good friends and she softened her heart towards them. Lavinet is an exception because she's a noble, not necessarily only because she's Norm, lol. 

I think Tallys pingpongs back and forth between acknowledging that her issues and trauma stem primarily from the Autarchy, nobles, the Inquisition, and the power structures in place rather than the Norm race as a whole--she outright acknowledges to MC that she doesn't hate individual Norms on principle and appreciates and respects people like Trouble and Shery a lot and counts them among her closest friends, and she didn't treat them with any particular "bias" or discrimination when they first met--but when tensions and frustrations are running high, like in Chapter 8, she can lose herself in her emotions and forgets to be fair and charitable and nuanced about it, if that makes any sense! Especially because for a lot of people, the Autarchy and the Norm race have become synonymous due to how history shook out, so sometimes it all gets mixed up when her feelings are heated and tangled! 

NSFW

Hello, I was wondering if we ever got the Blade NSFW alphabet from a few years back. I was looking through and couldn’t find it.

It's here! As a side note to anyone else looking, some character NSFW alphabets are on our Discord as well, which is where the whole thing started!

(nsfw) I'm still in the Halloween mindset, so what sort of lingerie/outfit/costume would turn on the ROs?

Hi there, discussion of the kind of roleplay they'd enjoy has been posted before, such as here!

And also you said to ask a few rounds back what term the RO’s use for sexual activity/ the act of sex- so I’m asking now! (More bonus points if it changes when there are ~feelings~ involved 👀)

Blade: he generally refers to it as "making love" if he says the words at all, which is the standard way of talking about it in polite society, but he'll sometimes say "fuck" when he's feeling particularly feral lol 

Trouble: I think when he's talking directly to MC, it tends to be pretty oblique or indirect, like, "You wanna...? *raises eyebrows*" or "I can't wait to get you in bed," but when he's referring to the act without his implying to be involved, he's more casual about it and can say anything from "canoodling" or "knocking boots" to "roll in the hay" or what have you, depending on the situation. Like "You think they're knocking boots?" but not "I want to canoodle with you" lol

Tallys: "I want to make love to you"--she tends to be very straightforward about this and doesn't generally use other terms for this

Shery: "M-making love" or, in conversation when it's not about her, "intimate relations" 

Riel: He tends to be very indirect about actually saying the words when it has to do with him and will typically just seduce the MC ("Oh, I'm just admiring how you look tonight..." etc.) or signal his sexual interest without directly saying "Let's fuck," but if his hand is forced, he'll usually say use pointed innuendo along the lines of "Would you like to spend the night together?" or "I was looking forward to... ah... spending time together." In formal conversation (when it doesn't have to do with him), he'll either call it "physical relations," "coitus," "consummation" or, when he's feeling outright distaste, "coupling." He abhors the word "intercourse" lol  

Chase: he's the most diverse and inventive in vocabulary when it comes to this, and it generally depends on his mood: it could be something deliberately silly and light-hearted, like "fancy a roll in the hay?" or "get to know each other carnally" or "the mattress mambo" or "making the beast with two backs" or "canoodling" or "the dance of many sheets" or what have you, especially if he's referring to other people, but when he's being serious, it varies between "I want to fuck you" (direct verb), "What, my love-making is proving inadequate?" (noun), or "bedgames" when in polite company (but that tends to be his word for when he implies real freaky shit is going down) 

Red: He tends to be more poetical and indirect about it, like "I've been dreaming about getting you into bed and worshipping you all night," but otherwise he'll call it "sex" or "love-making" depending on the situation. He'll call it slightly sillier terms if he's being funny about it, out of a sense of irony, like "What, you mean they're... achieving congress?" or just say "they slept together" if he's being serious!

Ayla: She calls it "fucking" or "banging" almost exclusively, regardless of context

Briony: She refers to it as making love in most serious conversation (about herself or others), but will say "fuck" in the midst of dirty talk and "canoodling" when she's being light-hearted and gossipy, like "omg, you think they're canoodling? 👀" 

Lavinet: she calls it "making love" in personal situations exclusively, but will call it "being intimate" in polite company and referring to other people!