Spoiler QnA November - edit with more questions (Patreon)

Sorry, I was alerted to the fact that the questions got cut off. Here is all of them!

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Steel finds what sidestep shares, about heartbreak, "interesting". Is it "interesting" because (1) it matches what he found out when he went looking, (2) it made him rethink what he himself had seen in heartbreak, or (3) something else?

Honestly, all 3. Mostly 2, then 1 and then 3.

Ortega mentions that post heartbreak, Vernon kept pestering the rangers - specifically, them. Why did Vernon choose Ortega instead of going after, say, Chen?

Hehehe. There is a very good reason for that, but I won't tell you. Spoilers.

And is there a reason where Sidestep seems to forget that Themmy died too when Ortega brings up the topic of their funeral?

I mean there could be many, depending on the Sidestep, so people can have a bit of headcanon there. But the main one in my mind is that at that point in the game, Sidestep has spent years trying not to think of what happened. Deny. Block. Watching Themmy die was traumatizing, and probably laced with no small amount of blame. Why couldn't they stop it? Why didn't they try? How was it possible? Anathema is tied up with a lot of guilt, and it's very telling that the only times Anathema pops up is when Sidestep has experienced utter failure and being close to death.

Is there any chance we might get to see Skyraider again?

Oh yes. He has a role to play in Revelations.

Does Norma Lee have any connection to the Farm?

Yes. No further info will be given.

Chen was able to find out that Step was a Re-Gene. Would the other Rangers have been able to be the same? What about Pyroclast or Sentinel if they went investigating?

Probably not. They lack the kind of contacts in the military that Chen has. I doubt they would have find the right threads to pull on.

Was the person who orchestrated Lou Carter's assassination the same person who planted the bomb?

Yes.

Be it yes or no, did they plan the outcome to accommodate Steel and Sidestep being there that very same night?

Nope. That was a surprise. Steel was a possibility, Sidestep a complete surprise.

We know prepare-them!Hunters have a specific, future event/scenario in mind as the reason why they do what they do. Is this same event connected to the motivations behind anarchist Steps' agenda and goals?

Yes it is. And my apologies to keep it secret from you this far, but that's just how I work. Thank you for your patience and your tinfoiling.

If VillainStep is a known telepath, did Mia ever consider taking any precautions before the interview? If so, what were they?

Mia was naive and reckless and since she had no secrets she figured the villain was interested in, and had no reason for the interview other than honest interest in a scoop, she figured it would probably be safer if the villain could read her mind.

How did Ortega get to see Hollow Ground's face?

Basically HG was the one initiating contact, though Ortega had no idea who they were. HG had been having problems with threading Hood, and had finally pinpointed Ortega as being the issue in keeping Hood on track. So, HG figured that threading Ortega would stop Hood from being reminded of his priorities. Didn't work so well though... but it took many tries before HG figured Ortega was unthreadable.

While we know that Ortega called regenes "blue skinned freaks," what did Chen say about them? 

Chen called them "classified weapons". Just like he had been taught to.

Why did Carter-Macaroni decide to “ask” for Chen as his bodyguard? From the text I figured that Carter is the Mayor’s ally. Wasn’t it more logical/easier to ask the Guardians for protection? Was asking for the Rangers an act of showing off Carter’s power/status? Or were there other reasons for Carter to not trust the Mayor and/or the Guardians? Are the Guardians considered so less than the Rangers (even after Argent’s lash out and the museum gala)? 

Asking for Steel was definitely a status move. A way to show both the Mayor and the Marshal that yes, he was important and powerful enough to warrant such protection. And yes, the Guardians are considered to be a less powerful team, even after that. They are the new kids on the block.

How did Jake get his clothes and such to phase with him?

He doesn't know, he has always been able to.

Since Jake can get his clothes to phase with him, is Ashfall capable of turning the clothes/watches he wears into ash too?

Nope, Ashfall's powers work differently. He transforms hos physical body, and any clothes/accessories just fall through the cloud.

In a same vein as this question: Can Jake phase carrying another human or heavy object in hands?

Working on it. Once he gets there, he will definitely be Alpha level.

Is whatever Carter and Deveraux were up to connected to (1) what Vernon found, or (2) why Cavalier attacked the Pentagon?

Hmmmmm. Tangentally, yes.

how much control does Argent actually have over machines? Does it work easier/faster with "software" or "hardware" (hacking into a computer vs turning on the dishwasher)? Could she, say, defeat Sidestep by simply ordering their armor to shut down or malfunction?

It is easier with software, and machines connected to things like that. So a camera hooked up to a security system is a lot easier than a camera held in someone's hands. In general, there is a curve, much like the standard curve. On one end are the simple machines like dishwashers, car engines, and cash registers. On the other end there are major computer networks, like military and banks. Her power is strongest in the middle, where things are complicated enough to give her leverage, but not so complicated they are hard to grasp. She could potentially try to work with Sidestep's armor, but in a fight she generally needs to focus on keeping her friends under control. She needs to be calm and collected for proper machine manipulation, and she's not that while she is fighting. Besides, that would be cheating.

Before Regina was director she was Dr. Siepen. What did she specialize in?

Her PhD was in genetics, but she was increasingly focused on genetic predictors of behavior. Before she started working for the Farm, she was on a list for possible recruitment for the Green Sky, but it did not get that far.

Since Deadeye freelances with HG's permission, could we hire her?

Depending on your relationship with HG, that might be possible. HG doesn't let her work for their enemies.

How does HG handle/deal with people wanting to leave their organization? Are they allowed to? What happens if they leave? 

HG works very hard on making people want to be a part of their organization. If someone wants to leave, they see that as a failure. Of course people are allowed to, but what would happen would depend on the reason. Switching to another boss/gang could either be seen as having a valuable in there, or be a reason to get killed. Someone wanting to retire/marry/go straight might be encouraged, and HG would be sure to leave them with enough benefits that there would be no blood. Just future useful contacts.

Could we call and leave a message at Parkfield or do we always have to leave one in person at the downstairs bar?

A message in person for now, though Sidestep can get other ways to contact in the future if things go well.

If Step has been revealed to be the villain and decides to continue going to therapy, how would Ortega react if the bill was still sent to them? Would they continue to pay it? How'd they feel about it knowing Step continued to see Dr. Finch even after all that happened?

Ortega would keep paying the bills, hoping the sessions might help.

Would Ortega use this information to try and catch Step?

Not to catch them, but perhaps keep an eye on them. They wouldn't want to risk spooking Sidestep.

Who's next in line for the directorship after Regina? Is there anyone specifically gunning for the position?

Spoilers.

Did HG’s sibling actually have a plan/good reason to steal the car??

I mean that's what they did? Stealing cars and other stuff. This time was no different, just bad luck.

If Josh had survived the boosting process, what type of person would he have become? A hero like he and Daniel planned or would he have ended up taking a different path?

Would most likely have turned villain fast. Perhaps dragging Daniel with him.

Will HG’s sibling’s personality actually coincide with Step’s? Or is it just HG projecting?

A lot is HG projecting. They want it to be true, and with many years, and the sibling being a child at the time, it's easy to remember wrong.

What were the genders of HG's other siblings? And in which order are these siblings? Is HG the second oldest? Or perhaps the second youngest amongst their siblings? 

I have said a few different things in the past, as I have been pondering what to reveal. But now that the sibling reveal is done, I think I will finalize it as this: Oldest brother (original HG), second oldest brother, third is HG, last is the sibling. The latter two variable gender.

Was the sniper who shot out the car tires aiming to do in Ortega, Sidestep, or both of them?

It can be either, depending on the path. 

How does HG feel when they they realize they can neither thread Charge nor their sidekick? Is this some sort of curse? 

HG is really getting tired of Charge and their bullshit at this point. Might have to do something about it.

Whether knowingly or not, did Chen ever interact with cuckoos while he was in the military? Was he ever curious about them?

Nope. He did not know they existed at that point.

Why is Jake skeptical of poly marriage?

Because he still feels a bit like a third wheel. Sure, he might be fucking the boss, but he has the feeling that he's in that bed mostly because of Nocturne. Besides, marriage is such a final thing.

Do HG's threads leave a mind scar behind?

Depends on how deeply they have been embedded. Generally, no.

For Chen, would it depend on Sidestep's finesse when removing the threads?

Not necessarily. Could also have high force and pull them out fast.

And, unrelated to HG, but: does Ortega have any mind scars of their own?

If by scars you mean trauma, yes.

Will an unthreaded mind, now aware of HGs powers, be less prone to being threaded again?

Oh yes.

Related to the scar/thread ask there, would it leave a (bigger) scar if step bungled the dethreading? Doing more damage? 

Yes, it would.

Nocturne and HG were attracted to each other’s intelligence… what is Jake attracted to in each of them?

Jake is attracted to Nocturne's poise and drive. And well, as for HG, power is always sexy.

Are Ortega's spy / hearing / new mods "off the record" from their Ranger and government modwork? If so, who did they go to to have them done? 

Nope, this is all legit in-team stuff.

Are the kidnappings of telepaths overseen by only one organisation, or are different players involved?

Different players.

Is argent meant to know everything that’s in the vault?  Or are those technopathy privileges?

Technopathy privileges.

Re-Gene tattoos--they aren't composed of nanovores are they?

Nope, they are not.

That Snippet for Book 3 has got me wondering, how does HG feel about the Farm using their sibling's DNA to make Step? Are they mad at them for harvesting and using it without HG's knowledge or are they grateful for the Farm giving them, in their eyes, another sibling? How did they feel and react when they got those lab results back that said Step and them were most likely related? 

HG does not know yet. And how they will react when they learn the truth is going to have to be experienced in game. But considering how protective HG can be of things they consider theirs, I can imagine both being true.

Does Sidestep have any boosted organs from the post-HB surgery? 

None.

Has Sidestep got any organs harvested by the farm?

None.

If Argent communicated with Sidestep's AI chip... Could she get infected if Step's chip holds an infection? Or could the nanovores protect her? Could the nanovores get infected?

That is a frightening thought.

If Step goes to the HG meeting as themselves, did they take an image of Step to use in their new Mitchell villain file from the security cameras or is having a civilian picture of them not something HG generally cares about? The Independent Hero seemed to of had a civilian picture, so having Step come without the armor to also obtain a picture for the file would be an added bonus to the threading 

Oh you bet they did. Mitchell likes to keep updated.

Is the "infection" a communicable disease? Or, can there/has there been instances where infection develops in isolation - aka, people can become "infected" despite no contact with those already infected? 

Yes. They can. Though it can also infect.

Nobody likes Shroud…. Not even her butler?

It's less about liking there, and more about mutual need.

Is her butler her handler? If not, how the hell did she get such a specific... butler? 

Nope. They met, and realized they had things in common.

Does Mitchell work solely for Hollow Ground? Has he ever worked for Lord Ember or other kingpins or villains?

Mitchell was independent, but after he got recruited, it's just for HG. Gets paid well.

Is shroud's power automatic with touch or does she need to have intent?

Automatic.

Could HG thread Step to get rid of or lessen their nightmares to allow them to get sleep in their own body?

Yes, especially if Sidestep let them.

Curiosity compels me: is Jake attracted to Nocturne herself, or moreso the personality/version of Nocturne that has been—for lack of a better phrasing—made by Hollow Ground?  Would Jake still love her if her strings were snapped and she reverted back to her former self? 

I honestly don't know. Jake has never seen that part of her. Nocturne is convinced he wouldn't.

How long would it of taken for Pelayo and the Crew to realize Step had been arrested and injured and would they of mounted a rescue? If they would have, what would of been their plan to get Step out of the Ranger's HQ?

Some Sidesteps might still be stuck there, let's not spoil book three.

Will it be possible to raise Sidestep's wealth status (or lower it) again in future books?

Oh yes. So far many Sidesteps have not started truly spend their money.

What does HG (as Big Sibling) think of Step and their possible RO(s) dating? What is HG's opinion of each of them?

Oh not going there, any of the Rangers are stupid and risky. Obviously Sidestep must be doing it for a reason. Dr. Mortum would 100% be approved.

Can Herald's powers go the opposite way? Like we know he can make things lighter... but can he make things heavier too and crush people's heads like a melon with the sheer force of gravity?

Not so far.

Can dampeners actually stop shroud's powers or alter how they affect someone?

No. They are touch-based.

Could HG ever love Sidestep as their own person, as part of their family? Or will Step always be the replacement goldfish for their dead sibling?

I think HG definitely could. HG is quick to care for people.

If Argent made a machine from scratch, will it become ‘alive’ to her like all the other machines Argent ‘converses’ with? 

Yes, it would.

Were the nanovores made by the farm, or did someone or something else create them?

The nanovores are completely unrelated to the Farm.

How old is Shroud?

Physically in her thirties.

By the end of Retri, have any of the Rangers caught on to the fact that the Villain is using nanovores as a weapon? More specifically, if you pick the "mods, meet nanovores" option during the auction, would the mess you leave behind ring any bells to Chen, Ortega, and/or Argent?

Nope. The nanovores ate flesh, not tech.

Why is Jake skeptical of poly marriage?

Because he still feels a bit like a third wheel. Sure, he might be fucking the boss, but he has the feeling that he's in that bed mostly because of Nocturne. Besides, marriage is such a final thing.

Can Re-Genes multiclass into other roles? (Spook, Spider, Actor, Blade) Or are they just restricted to one?

Mostly one. But they can transition, and thus have past experience with several.