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Time for this month's questions! (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-23 12:45:54
Imported:
2023-05

Content

Time for this month's questions! Anything you fancy about the world, the story, people, my writing process, writing in general... have fun.

Just consider one thing: Would telling you the answer remove some of the fun and uncertainty of the story in the future? If the answer is yes, you'll probably get told it's spoilers.

Comments

Chke

Question 1: Was Sidestep always so insulting and aggressive to Ortega or is that new? Either way is Ortega at all bothered by it? Question 2: Did the Rangers know feral hobo Sidestep, or were they already tamed by the time they all met? Question 3: Did Void know their power could be used against them like that? Was Sidestep's control of Void's power unique?

Purple

1. Do some cuckoos work deep in-cover for some of their missions? Do they have missions that last longer, even months? If so, does the farm only give these kind of missionf for trusted re-genes or do they have some other way of making sure they won't betray the mission or try to escape? 2. Did HG siblings have stuff they liked to do together? 3. How often does HG have to re-thread someone who is difficult to keep hold of? And how often they would have to re-thread someone who is easier to keep hold of? 4. Do re-genes have any kind of jokes? What kind? More in nihilistic side or do they vary? 5. Do re-genes have some kind of rules among them, that if broken it might be viewed as betrayal? Like let say, killing a fellow re-gene on purpose 6. And how are newborn re-genes taken in by others? How do they learn their language? 7. Where did Sidestep come up with "side of angels" sentence? Is it just Sidestep being poetic or do the villains just call heroes side that? 8. How is Nocturne's mother doing? Is she happy? Does she know Nocturne is in Los Diablos? 9. Is there a possibility of some Sidestep missing having other re-genes around them? 10. Does Regina's goals align with the farm's goals? 11. What is mob boss crew up to if Sidestep has different villain career? 12. What does Vera and Sky-Raider like to do in their free time? 13. What was the reason Ortega's and Special Directives past teamup? 14. How is Flipside doing? Are they still following what's going on in the superhero world? 15. Can Sidestep lose their villain base?

Circuitdruid clj

One of the things that I adore about your books, that really gripped me from the beginning is how clear it is that Sidestep is an unreliable narrator, especialy when it comes to their preception of themself. And with various paths in book two doubling down on that (including the one where mortum states it outright) I have to ask if this is a theme you enjoy exploring as much as I enjoy reading it? :D do you have any plans to make step confront their flawed perspective? beyond the plates currently in the air? More commedically. We know that for a telepath most sidesteps seem weirdly oblivious to the astounding volume of people in their proximity with a crush on them. Are their any more hearts in their past they might have crushed under the bootheel of obviousness or self loathing? If they were not constantly emitting a 'dont look at me' aura would Ortega also know the frustration of swooning serving staff oogling their companion at every establishment they patronize? My Ace self revels in the soapy drama of it all. The farm sure does seem to make them pretty, or is the mystrerious stranger shtick just really working overtime for them ? X'D

Brendon Andrews
>>109133851

I do really like your second question. Never thought about that! My guess is its head-canonish, but still really good! Despite having access to the vast majority of minds, Sidestep is capable of being quite clueless.

Brendon Andrews

I'll keep it short and simple. How have ya been doing, Malin? Hope the process has been smooth and fun!

Anonymous

I have a very important question. Could the pain gate help with eating very spicy food?

Circuitdruid clj
>>109141685

Ok I -need- to know this too now. I want a cannon where a street living baby sidestep exploits spicy meal challenges to get free food.

KingDingDongofPooPooMountain

Hi Malin, hope you are doing well! What do Chen's protein shakes taste like? Vanilla chalk? Chocolate dirt? And has the other rangers ever drank it (ex. like on accident/a dare/hangover cure/no more food in the fridge)? Chen makes a shelf just for Sidestep in their fridge at the Ranger's HQ. How exactly did that work in terms of keeping the snacks in there? Especially for a Sidestep that hardly ever visits? Does Chen chuck out the expired food if Step never shows up lol? Do the other rangers ever take food from that shelf? (Betting Angie hehe)

Anonymous
>>109141685

Or for silly-adjacent angst fodder, post-HB Step eating with Ortega. Step asks for mild spice and Ortega being like "Who are you??"

Anonymous

1. What do the Rangers think of a step who suddenly starts buying and wearing expensive/high fashion clothes? 2. What does Ortega think of a known telepath villain who names themselves heartbreak? 3. There were a couple of really cool asks in the past couple of Q&As about villains painting their armor regene colours/reclaiming their regene identity, there's also likely going to a few intentional/unintentional villain identity reveals in book 3 as mentioned as well, so it got me wondering, Would there be villain regene reveals without necessarily revealing your identity? Similar to the auction scene with argent but more public? 5. There's been some answers regarding argents technopath abilities, specifically in regards to be able to see sidesteps AI chip and the inner workings of the villain's armor. Could she still see the AI Chip through the armor? Or would it just blend in? 4. There's been a couple of couple of answers that have hinted at this possibility of this before as well as few scenes related to gates in retribution, but let's say, hypothetically sidestep has the possibility of becoming another heartbreak. Would that be more of a bad end, game over scenerio? Or something we'd have to live with the consequences of? 5. Only asking this because my steam randomly decided to update rebirth with a 900KB update and i couldn't find any posts about it, but will there be a patreon post once the new rebirth update is finished?

Anonymous

As a recaptured escapee, was step used as an example to the other regenes about what happens if you try to escape/misbehave? What would a stat of 100 in force of mind look like ability-wise? Why does Owl like Argent? What does Owl think of Herald and Steel? Do all the rangers have their own office? If Sidestep had been successfully mindwiped by the core, would they have been used for active duty again? Will we be locked out of a romance with Daniel if we're revealed as the villain? Why does birdbrain hate Herald? Is the feeling of being nemesises mutual between them? What do Nocturne's instincts tell her about Argent/Steel/Herald?

Stellar Skadi

-Can you see there being an option for a voluntary re-gene reveal with all of the rangers at once? -In the Void story you posted here, we saw what might be considered the 'AI-side' of Sidestep. Is this the case? And if it is, is it something we can catch glimpses of in the future books? -More interactions with villain fans? -Could there have been Farm scientists who were fans of Sidestep? How might they feel when it's discovered that the vigilante is a run-away re-gene? -In the case of trans Sidesteps, are any of the ROs curious about what it means to be a transgender re-gene? I can imagine Mortum being especially interested.

Slicc

If Sidestep’s conscious is stuck in Ace’s body. With high individuality stat can Ace comeback? If so will Sidestep and Ace merge into one conscious with both memories? Sorta like metamorphosis like in Cyberpunk 2077.

Anonymous

Hi! First off I'm incredibly appreciative of the ace/aro options, and doubly so of the secondary select of if "your character feels sexual attraction to people" for the demi option. Going through the Ortega romance apartment scene trying both the "demi/no sexual attraction to people" and "asexual" options I noticed there didn’t seem to be unique text when selecting your character to be ace that I came across. What are the intended effects of the romance selects, and are there plans to incorporate them into the text more in future romance scenes? For example ace people who don't identify as demi may still have sex with their partners as a form of intimacy even if there's no sexual attraction, but it feels like the current ace route doesn't acknowledge that, or acknowledge your sexuality if you choose not to have sex.

Joshua McCoy

For Sidesteps who got their legs broken, would getting their pain gate implant fixed be something to consider in the near future? they think about how it was 'taken away' in the hospital scene, and it seems practical to get it fixed given the business they're in.

Anonymous

For more secretive Sidesteps, will there be oppurtunities for a strategic/insincere regene reveal to placate other characters that Sidestep knows are very suspicious of them being up to no good?

keltena
>>109199179

Ooh, I'd *love* if that happened; it's such an interesting idea! (I wonder if trans and/or gender-questioning MCs could do something similar, since that also (seems like it) explains some of their intense privacy about themselves and their past.)

BigFreckledEars

Does Ortega actually care about fashion, like wears specific brands cause it's their favorite, wearing what's "in style" or do they just like to wear expensive and pretty clothing? Does the Void blood stay within the person who ingests it blood or does it affect their mind or anything else? Meaning if the Catastrofiend saw a Puppetstuck Step and the intruder in Step's body next to each other, which would it recognize as Sidestep? Did Chen lose his legs from the airstrike during Heartbreak or some else? Would you ever write about Dreamweaver? Hearing that Sentinel got taken over (?) and Step had to help him out of it is super interesting! Was Heartbreak close to being labeled as Omega? Or was it not labeled at all because no one knew whether it was a mod or a boost? Also, I know people have asked about giving Rat King their own body and stuff but will there be potential for more Rat King using the armor shenanigans in the future? Step being able to exit the armor and then surprise whoever they're fighting when their armor keeps fighting without them in it sounds awesome! Then finally, this isn't a question but I LOVE that you added the option of not being a known telepath into the game! Not only does it make Step less suspicious, I can only IMAGINE what the possibilities of doing the reveal could be in future, especially if they still think Step only has surface-level telepathy, so exciting!

Anonymous

How weak would the Rangers+Mortum be to a Sidestep with really good puppy dog eyes?

Anonymous

In past Q&As and extra stories you’ve hinted that Ortega would be the most likely to turn villain and some characters are already concerned about this possibility. If Sidestep didn’t come back or they didn’t meet at the cafe what would have been the straw that broke the camels back? If any on the Rangers turned villain who would be the first to go after them and who would be the most conflicted about fighting a former teammate? If an anarchist Step and Nocturn had similar goals would there be a possibility of them working together without HG or Nocturn betraying HG (if threading wasn’t a factor anymore)? You’ve also said you are considering possibly allowing players to upgrade the villain suit in future, if you’ve got any ideas would these upgrades be the same options we had for the suit in Rebirth or would there be any new options? A lot of the Rat King bonding moments seem to occur when Sidestep fails or doing badly; will there be more opportunities to bond with the RK during less precarious or positive situations?

Anonymous

1) Did Ortega get gut punch moments from revisiting their memories of sidestep and realized just how they didn't value themself and were convinced that Ortega would hate them for "what" they are after the regene reveal? Especially if Ortega called them a fake and even more so if they realized sidestep wasn't a fake afterwards but sidestep was long gone. ("I had a funeral?" Or "I couldn't be what you wanted, so.." etc. moments) Will Sidestep and Ortega get a chance to talk about it further? Will we have an opportunity to tell them about the Farm if we didn't in the second book? 2) in one epilogue Ortega says they trust their initial reactions more, but they have an initial reaction of thinking sidestep as a fake in other paths. I suppose this was intentional. What they thought "i trust my initial reactions more" is a general thought they tend to have or is it more of a thing they say to deal with the info they're struggling with if the question makes sense? I asume the latter but... 3) Has Shroud consumed any of the farm scientists and/or handlers? Fellow regenes? If they have, I imagine they have quite the info about the farm. If regenes know about sidestep, does that mean she does as well? 4) Are any of the regenes who witnessed Sidestep's birth currently alive? 5) Does Sidestep not being a great team player have anything to do with the fact that cuckoos were resented by other regenes in some cases? Especially because they were a telepath and the "pet project"? 6) Sky-raider was military. He probably worked with regenes as well. Does he have any prejudice or/and uneasiness similar to Chen and Ortega? I imagine him looking at this whole thing as a "damn what a mess" as he rescues sidestep. 7) I always thought possession stuff was related to HB. But I'm wondering about another thing, since it's not affected by the dampeners does that mean Sidestep can possess Ortega? Or are they safe? 8) Does HG know about chargestep's romantic involvement? They now know Ortega knew Sidestep, who looked a lot like their sibling and I don't think they would really leave it alone. 9) Has Ortega ever noticed Sidestep slipping to regene language pre and after hb and thought it as a nervous tick or something since they didn't have context? 10) If tech shortcuts around Ortega, does this ever cause troubles for Argent like fire does? 11) Has Argent seen the AI chip on the villain like she's seen it on sidestep? Did she get any clues because of that? I assume she can influence it... Wait. That means she saw it in Shroud's brain as well. I imagine it won't be hard for her to figure out Shroud is a regene if Sidestep's regene secret is revealed. 12) Does Ortega know how many languages sidestep knows? Will they have a "oh boy" moment once they realize the farm fitted a dozen languages into Sidestep's brain? 13) The last one, I know I asked a lot. Do you have any advice for the writers who's stuck between languages? Being very estranged from writing in my mother language but not very comfortable with English either.

Anonymous

Hi! Just wondering what advice you would have for someone looking to start writing? I know it's best to start slow. How do you just accept what you have down and then revise it later? I never do rough drafts when writing papers and such but I feel you obviously need to plan more what you're doing when writing fiction. How did you become the awesome writer you are now? is what I suppose I want to know.

Arkiatta

In case of Anathema who is trans, how does their invulnerability factor into their transition and as such thoughts on their body and identity? Since I assume they couldn't get surgery, couldn't do T shots etc. During the Regene reveal to Ortega, you can call them out for calling Regenes "blue-skinned freaks" in the past, to which they reply, uncertain, "Did I really say that? I mean, I guess I could have". Did they really say that and just don't remember, or was this a memory implanted in Step by the Farm after Heartbreak? To make Step feel even more alienated and abandoned? Why is it only possible, as Puppet, to sleep with Mortum but not with Ortega? How long did it take you to write the entire Auction chapter and how the //hell// did you pull off //so many// different paths and variables?? I'm so incredibly impressed! Speaking of the auction, I've been code-diving and wondered - why is Zaber referred to with Mortum's pronouns? Just for variety, or is there a story reason...? How do you balance writing Sidestep as a consistent, semi-established character, with giving players choices? What is your process, or, what do you try to keep in mind when deciding on what choices to make available (or not) for the player, be they of story consequence or just conversation flavor? Kind of in line with that, what kind of a Sidestep do you have in mind when writing? Are they more nebulous, or do you have a specific Sidestep or Sidesteps of your own that you craft the story and its possible paths around? You mentioned in the last Q&A that you will be writing full-time soon, what are you the most excited about and what worries you the most about that change? (Or, if you've already started, what has been the best and the worst so far about that change?) (First time interacting, thank you so much for this story. Just... thank you so much. Have a wonderful day! :) )

keltena

You've said before that you've added unplanned scenes or story branches that the characters surprised you with while writing. Have you ever ended up scrapping a planned plot point for the same reason—i.e., because it turned out not to work for the characters once you sat down to write it? I love how Ricardo will change his appearance in response to literally a single joking comment from the MC. Obviously there's practical reasons why Julia can't do the same, but in a hypothetical world where hair length was as easy to change as facial hair, would she also grow her hair back out as soon as the MC admitted they missed it? I've always found it funny to change my MC's hair color/style in Retribution so that they look identical to the puppet, even if they didn't previously. Do you think Ortega (or other characters who meet the puppet) would find that "mirror image" situation as strange/disconcerting as they do in Rebirth, or would it be easier to shrug off as a coincidence? How easily can the Rat King distinguish between and remember individual humans, and has their ability to do so changed over the years? When they recognize the Rangers, is it solely because they remember them from previous encounters or partly because they're able to piggyback off of the MC's familiarity with them? (And in Ortega's case, maybe also the MC's ability to detect them at all?) Are Shroud's hair and nails safe to touch, or would that be just as bad as touching her skin? Does Sky-Raider celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Or would he resent the implication that he's not already, by definition, talking like a pirate just by being himself?

keltena

What *are* #3 and #4 on Steel's list of what bothers him about the MC, anyway? The extremely suspicious training? The dishonesty? We know #1 and #2 are the telepathy and the resistance to background checks, and #5 is that he doesn't understand them, but he never went into the rest.

GreedyDragon

Will we be able to choose step's regene name or will it be based on our stats? Or is that too far in the future? And iirc someone asked if in book 3 we'll be able to increase/decrease our telepathy stats, will it be like in book 2 where its only our stronger stat or will it be like in book 1? (Also hi, new patron, i love this world/story so much)