August QnA! (Patreon)

Alrighty! Short update. I am no longer sick and is working on trying to figure out how to do this whole full-time writer thing. I'm currently a bit wibbly mentally (burnout from the very busy summer, my aspec brain doesn't handle prolonged masking well) so I am not very much on social media (other than twitter for news). However, I am working! There are several projects, but these are the three ones:

1) I have pathed the start of revelations to where things start to fuse. I will write one path at a time, and put up separate demos for them until it's time to fuse. The first one will be the Rangerstuck one I have been working on. Now that the pathing is done, I can relax and write and know the direction.

2) I am doing a bit of bugfixing on Rebirth when my brain can handle code. Right now it is in prose mode.

3) I am finishing of a ttrpg volume for RuneQuest Glorantha I have been working on with a friend. It is currently in the editing stage. I did write 50 000 words on it while I was on vacation and got inspired by the scenery, so I can still crank out the numbers.

As you can see, I have prose/coding/editing projects, and it depends on where my head is what I do.

My biggest issue is that I need to reach my brain how to shift hyperfocus, so I can move from project to project with less angst and downtime. That's my main project this autumn, I need to find a rhythm that works productively. How to work fully on one thing without feeling guilty for the things I don't do...

Hope y'all are doing fine, this month's lore post will be Steel perspective, and we'll get more revelations!

Thank you so much for your support, I can't tell you ow much I appreciate it

/Malin

Rest well and feel better soon!

Thank you! I do feel better now, at least it wasn't covid!

‌May it happen that sidestep will not be able to reconcile with Mortum once they're in their lab? If so, may Mortum try to use sidestep to whatever telepathy experiment they're working on?

Well, things like that will always be up to the individual Sidestep and their actions and reactions. Will there be paths and actions that will lead to the rift being permanent? Yes. Might there be reconciliation? Also yes. Might Mortum want reconciliation but Sidestep refuses? Also possible. As for the last, I mean... if you have a telepath handy it would be a shame not to use them.

I'm interested in a general sense in international affairs. There is Diablos and its relationship with the rest of the US, but what other nations are taking advantage, who have consulates in Diablos? Anywhere else that boosted or modded people are particularly common? Anyone famous internationally as like "The most powerful/dangerous person in Asia"? Any other places where truly devastating mass casualty events have happened?

Alrighty! I love international politics. First of all, let's make clear that the Free Western Territories sits in an international gray zone. They are still considered to be part of the US as far as the UN is concerned. So there are no official consulates or anything like that. However, that isn't to say that there's not anything going on behind the scenes. There are trade delegations that are little-disguised spy and diplomat missions from all there of the other major blocks (USSR, EU, China) and several independent nations. The most important (and open) of these are Mexico, Canada, Brazil and the Republic of Nigeria. Some speculate that the groundwork is being laid for the west to "break off permanently," much like Hong Kong or Taiwan. As the end of the agreement that made this rebuilding possible is closing in, we're in for a volatile time indeed.

Mods are common in the USSR, and one could argue that they lead the development in those technologies for military use. Southeast Asia is another hotbed of boost activity. Some say it is because China and India is using some nations as offshore research facilities, while others point to the years of conflict laying the groundwork. Both the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have several boosted heroes and villains, and the island nations have the highest concentrations of boosts outside the west coast. I haven't named any of them yet, but now you've got me thinking.

There has been other disasters in the history of the FH world, but I haven't detailed them yet. The nanovores were first used in the gulf, that is the one I think is the most relevant.

Some of the early Lore posts deal with the history and geography of the world, if you haven't checked them out yet there's some interesting things there.

Does Vera visit her community often? Has Armadillo visited there?

Vera still lives in her community, as does Armadillo.

Do Armadillo and Shroud have any nightmares about their past in the farm?

Oh yes.

And considering that Armadillo and Shroud seemingly escaped roughly at the same time... Did something happen at the farm during that time?

Something might indeed have happened... Something throwing the farm in enough chaos that several people took the chance to escape.

Out of interest, what is the state of libraries in Los Diablos? Do they even exist?

Libraries exists and is an important communal resource! However, they are run by local communities and charities, and as such what books they have can vary wildly.

Do re-genes that are used against other re-genes automatically become outsiders among others, or is there some kind of 'rule' that must be broken first?

Re-genes are often used against other re-genes. They are weapons, and that is something that all re-genes have learned. You become an putsider for other reasons.

Did Shroud broke a rule when she was used against other re-genes?

No. She did her job.

Is the regene sidestep can save in book 1 aware that someone saved them? How do they feel about that?

They are aware that they should be dead, yes. Everything else is spoilers.

As sibling what villain career would HG prefer sidestep having? What career they would find most worried over sidestep?

Joining HG in their crime business would be the best! Sidestep as mob boss (underling). They would be the most worried about hero hunters, because seriously, wtf!

Considering high force sidestep can break through HG dampeners, would they consider upgrading them? Could this also make them loose a little bit confidence with their protections against telepathy?

Oh yes. There's no small amount of oh shit oh shit going on inside HG's head after that.

What is Marcia up to if she's not working for Sidestep's 'business'?

Probably working in another store.

Can Sidestep who broke their legs expect free food from Marcia?

Oh yes!

Could HG ever dare to reveal Sibling Sidestep or Jake of red-threading them?

If HG ever does, that will be a big character moment for them.

Is Iris part of our fanclub? Couldn't help to notice that being friendly to her rises our fanclub stat 👀

Hehehehe gooooood spot. Yes. Iris is involved.

Could Armadillo help Sidestep grow more comfortable with their tattoos and re-gene identity?

Depends on the Sidestep! But Arde is the first exposure to a re-gene in a long time, Sidestep's gonna have to deal with some feelings.

And for Argent, if they got rid of their 'pets' would she love to live somewhere with big windows, and a good view of the city?

YES! (Look, ill-gotten gains it might be, but Sidestep's luxury apartment is sweeeet).

Shroud's butler mentioned an incident that happened with Shroud. What was that incident and will we get to find out what it was?

When Shroud gets starved she might start to lash out involuntarily and eat people. Not the thing you want to do in a friendly place.

What are the HG trio's sexualities? Did they all already know they were bisexual before meeting each other? Is HG demi?

HG is 100% demisexual. The way I see it, the concept of sexuality period was always more of an issue than with what gender. The fact that Nocturne is a woman is less important than the fact that HG got interested in the first place. They see themself as pansexual, but definitely portrays themselves as having a bigger sexual appetite than they actually do. This is one of the reasons they are alright with a poly relationship, as long as they care about both of them it also takes some of the heat off them. HG is aware that Nocturne has bigger appetites.

Nocturne is bi, and knew that from an early age. However, due to her life and issues she never met people much before HG, so she had few practical experiences. Now that she feels confident and secure, she's catching up on lost time. She's very grateful that HG is alright with her adventures. And, since she knows that if HG wasn't, they could simply adjust that part of her. She trusts HG completely, and this is one of the parts that, for her, proves that it's mutual.

Jake performs straightness and masculinity, but he's been aware that the also likes men for quite a while. Jake is more unsure about how he might be seen than what he does, performance is a big part of his personality. Sure, he's bi, but he wouldn't advertise about it. On the other hand, he wouldn't deny it either. The tension with HG is slightly different depending on HG's gender, because being second in command to a woman is as much of a challenge to him as being the boss's Sidepiece if HG is a man. In a way, an nb HG is easier to deal with, because Jake's preconceptions are already broken.

In the HGEnforcer!Sidestep AU would Nocturne try to seduce Sidestep, or would that be too weird?

Look, that's family business, she won't touch that.

When sending the puppet to meet HG why isn't there an option to say that the puppet was actually the villain the whole time and they were only pretending to be their subordinate?

See. This is interesting. Hmm. I don't want to spoil things. But just think about the fact that voicing the (lie?) that the Puppet has actually been running the show might matter. Lock the doors. Don't look. Never acknowledge. Yes I am being obtuse.

Before HG erased it in the epilogue, how did Nocturne feel about being on the other side of invasive telepathy, that she didn't have control of her own power?

Horrible. This was back in her worst nightmares, being unable to control such simple things as being able to step outdoors without having a breakdown. It was a nightmare, and she will remember it.

Can Argent wear lipstick or would the nanos just eat it?

They would eat it. It might last for an hour or so if she concentrates.

Betrayal is a very sore point for Mortum, but how would they feel/what would they do if they betrayed a friend? Like if they were forced to by someone else, they didn’t realise the other party would view it as a betrayal or they were acting on misinformation or a misunderstanding which they later learnt was false?

Ahahaha oh boy, we might see that in book three, won't we? Mortum is normally quick to move on and close the door behind them, but sometimes that's not possible.

And would Mortum try to salvage a relationship they ruined or just accept it was over? How far would they go to try and fix a relationship?

Mortum tells themselves they would accept that it was over. However, part of them desperately wants to try to fix things.

You’ve said before that the Rat King doesn’t fully understand Sidestep’s thought process, like thinking the fight between them and the Rangers like play fighting. How much of Sidestep’s trauma do the girls actually understand?

Animals dream. Animals are afraid. The Rat King can understand and sympathize with what Sidestep feels, even if they might not pick up on the details. Being locked in a cage or chased by monsters is familiar to rats.

Is there a level of understanding or familiarity to Step’s trauma because they were both psychic experiments? Or is it like how they don’t really get things tied to physical sensations and they don’t have their own equivalent to experimentation related trauma?

There is definitely understanding and familiarity. Probably more than they can express in emotions right now.

Would whoever is behind the telepath disappearances be interested in telepathic tech too, like Mortum’s telepathic related projects?

heh. Oh yes.

Would they want to get the Rat King or Sidestep’s suit, either to help their own agenda or if Step is a known telepath and they were interested in Step’s connection with the girls?

Hmm not quite as interesting.

We know that Herald and Locus were Sidestep fans and saw them as an idol, is there any other characters we’ve met or heard about so far who were also huge Sidestep fan girls/boys?

Not that you have met or heard about so far.

Have any of the Regenes who’ve escaped before tried to band together? And if so how successful was a Regene collaboration?

I will say spoilers, but also yes.

And given that Chen has issues with Argent and doesn’t fully trust her has there ever been a point where he’s considered trying to get her kicked out of the Rangers?

No. Not at this point. She is too useful. He's willing to accept a certain amount of bullshit and risk for the greater good.

I don't normally interact publicly with media so I apologize, I don't really know the etiquette. I absolutely love this game/story and as much as I want to understand the game in its entirety but uh, I'm no good at math but I think every possible combination is like a lot so working my way through the major beats is my goal for now. So instead I will simply ask, and pardon if this was already asked at some point I am somewhat new, Do you have a favorite villain suite design for Sidestep? If so I am curious to know and I wish you well!

Welcome aboard, and don't worry about etiquette, just be nice! But that question is asking me to pick favorites! There is so much good villain suit art on tumblr. I can't pick out who I love the most. However, I will namecall asaxophony's design for his villain "Killjoy". Why? Because it's not only cool, but it also includes a huge goddamn sniper rifle that has never been mention in the book, but nevertheless is such a big part of the character. That's the kind of ballsy move I applaud. Make your own canon! (in this case literally). Does the villain have a sniper rifle? Well, I never specifically say they didn't...

Would Mortum have helped sidestep if they had passed out in their car? (Truth Hurts version for simplicity) what would have been their thoughts when they saw the tattoos in that situation?

Yes they would have. There is actually a similar scene to that in the game, if Dr. Mortum has a normal gun they shoot Sidestep in the alley, and during the first aid they notice the tattoos.

I'm rereading rebirth and can't help but notice the Chris Perkins like nonsense in the warehouse with the Special Directive. I love Acquisitions Inc. with Chris as DM, I must have rewatched his run at least ten times. I'm curious are re-genes basically "born" like Saiyans where they're in gestation pods until their old enough to take care of themselves?

Aquisition Inc is fun! And I am not too knowledgeable of saiyans (google says it's a dragonball thing?) but yes they do remain in their tubes until their biological age is about 11-14.

Also if it's not a spoiler is hollow ground able to feel anything from a distance or do they need direct contact with a target?

Direct contact only.

Oh hey, do technopaths in your universe interact with tech in similar ways like everyone talks to tech, or do they have individual means of interacting.

Individual means. Some might see it more as programming, others talk to Stabby the Roomba as a pet. Some have distance, others need touch. It varies.

Again possible spoilers but is the Special Directive organized like Cerberus in M.E.: with individual cells that have little to no knowledge or contact of each other or an actual organization like the CIA?

More like the CIA, though smaller and more secretive.

Also did you know that the USA already has both marshalls that are stationary or wandering law enforcement officers, and the US Army Rangers which is a special forces division of operatives, outfits, units based on the mission, general, or occasionally outside factors like congress making demands or public opinion of the outcome or political tentions? Cause unless something major changes in later games I see no reason the Rangers in story couldn't just be a division of the Army Rangers or a partnership between the Marshalls & Army Rangers. Again sorry for rambling I tend to get carried away.

Yep! That is where the inspiration came from! The Rangers in game is a separate organization under the justice department, mainly because the president at the time did not want to be seen having the west coast under military rule. However, there is a lot of cooperation with the military, and many members of the Rangers have a military background.

Was Ortega as annoying to Anathema as they were to Sidestep about knowing their secrets? Or was there something about Themmy that made  Ortega not push as much?

The difference is that Hood vouched for Anathema, and Ortega took Hood's word as law. And there's something about Themmy that gave Ortega the feeling that Anathema might answer, and they would not like the answers.

On a scale of 1-10, without saying names, rank the imposters based on how much of an asshole they are.

We have one solid 5, what you put in you get out. We definitely have one aiming for 10, while another can vary wildly between 1-10 depending.

In the re: Heartbreak Postscript post, Sentinel says "We don't know for sure if it was gas..." but then he bring up Dreamweaver. Did they not tell Sentinel that it was a telepathic attack or was he saying that for the therapists sake? If the former, did he ever find out that it was telepathic and why would they keep that info from him?

He was telling that for the therapist's sake. He knows the truth.

Could they do the HB experiment on tactile telepaths or would that not work?

It would work, just more complicated.

Malin, do YOU have a facial hair preference for Ricardo?? (Ride or die mustache fan btw, it's the only correct answer)

The mustache is in the original book, that's all I say.

What are the Rangers dumbest fears? (spiders, the garbage disposal, stop-motion animation, etc)

Ortega: Jellyfish. Chen: Clowns. Argent: Horses. Daniel: Snakes.

How much better (or worse) would Ortega have fared after HB if Themmy hasn't died?

The same.

Does whichever body you get stuck in at the end of Retribution have a say in which imposter you get or can all of the imposters be in either body?

Which body you are in doesn't matter much. However, some of the variables which decided what body you end up in might also influence the imposter equation.

Did Step ending up alive make Ortega or Chen rethink Anathema's death?

Chen, yes. Ortega has not reached that stage yet.

Are we going to learn how HG reacts to Mortum helping a Step who refused to work with them? Cause I can't imagine HG letting that partnership continue.

That will be interesting (and potentially troublesome for Mortum)

With no damage taken, is the villain suit fully sealed to the point where Step would be safe from nanovores?

Yes, once the internal re-breathers are on.

In Truth Hurts when Dr Mortum first sees Sidestep they describe their appearance as features blending together or looking thru a mist. Is this how most people perceive Sidestep when they have their "don't notice me" aura up, or is it unique to the viewer?

It is unique to the viewer. Mortum is lucky that they see someone, some people just notice nothing at all.

How conscious is Sidestep about using their powers to make people not notice them? Is it always deliberate or sometimes emotion based? Sides already agreed to meet with Dr Mortum but is clearly nervous about the outcome. Post face reveal, has Sidestep ever consciously or not tried to make any of the Rangers forget/misremember their appearance?

At this point it is a reflex. Sidestep has to actively focus NOT to turn people's eyes away the moment they get nervous.

So this is about Chen's name. With which characters (which Wei and which Chen) his name is formed?

伟 (wěi) - as in great, robust.

陈 (chen) - as in old, antique. This is the family name.

Could Five Pennies control or influence anything other than those pennies??

While he was active, he could influence other things as long as his pennies were touching them.

Does Bumblebee have wings? Why did she become a hero? Does she enjoy her job, being part of the Guardians?

She has wings! Foldable, insect-style, see-through. A bit more dragonfly than bumblebee to be honest. She became a hero because she wanted to help people. She likes working with the Guardians.

What would past!Wei think of his future self potentially *dating* Sidestep? What about past!Herald learning about potentially dating his hero?

past!Wei would laugh that off and be unimpressed. past!Herald would be intrigued.

What were Shroud’s and Armadillo’s roles back when they were working for the Farm? What did their responsibilities look like?

Shroud was a cuckoo, but much of her job was also inside the Farm. Whenever you needed to extract someone's memories, and weren't too concerned if they died from it, that's when she came in.

Armadillo was a terror-beast. Part of a team, fighting the heavy hitters and taking damage. Bit of a tank.

How long does it take for ‘the ground to crack under [HG’s enemies’] feet’ after they’ve wronged them?

Depends. Between a week and a month.

What was it about Sidestep that made Locus look up to them?

They looked so young, and never backed down. It was a lot of projection on her part, she never saw Sidestep without the mask, but the media often presented Sidestep as a sidekick, so they had a teenage feel there.

Wait, I’m confused. Did HG’s older brother (the one who took the boost with him and ended up with geokinetic powers) die in the boosting process? Or did he survive a bit before dying?

Oh he lived for years! The one that died in the boosting process was a middle brother I think. I've been a bit up and down whether HG have two or three older siblings. Until it's in the book it can change. The older brother who got geokinetic powers is fixed though, he was the one who ran the organization for years.

Are there legal precedents of any sort for heroes acting under mind control/telepathic influence? Any laws? Because villains like Dreamweaver have been around in the past.

If you are not responsible for your own actions, you can't be held legally responsible. You can still get in trouble for getting into that situation though. So, someone who was subjected to a hallucinogenic would not be responsible for the things they broke during their rampage, but someone who willingly took a hallucinogenic would.

How long has HG’s family-run crime organisation been running? When was it first founded/created?

HG's dad was the one who started things, it goes back to the aftermath of the Big One. The HG family was there during that mess.

Could we potentially recover any destroyed/wiped memories for Chen, who suspects he’s been a victim to a mindwipe or two during his time at the military? What about with Sky-Raider?

It might be possible. It would be a bit like the bodies of Pompeii, the memory might be gone, but the impression around it might be enough to see what it was.

Is there a list of people Sidestep has bitten?

Nope. It might be a long one.

What was Arde's first impression of the Rangers?

Argent was the only dangerous one.

How does Chen deal with fear? Was part of his disdain for Sidestep fear of telepaths/telepathic abilities?

Fear and caution. He tends to try to face his fears, but he's not being Ortega about it. Sometimes it is good to keep dangerous things at arm's length.

We know step projects their nightmares, but what about their feelings? Is it hard to do it consciously? Do they do it unconsciously often? How much of their feelings would the people that surround them feel?

Sidestep does have empathic talents, but it's generally nothing they do consciously. They pick out feelings others already feel and heighten them, rather than project their own. Sidestep is way too private to want anybody to know how they feel, that's usually kept securely under wraps. Dreams can sneak through though.

There was a snippet you wrote long ago abt Locus around there, was it deleted?

I haven't deleted anything, but it might have been on my tumblr you saw it if it was long ago.

When Sidestep makes a deal with Hollow Ground and walks away "unmolested", Ortega doesn't think they're a Re-gene fake after the crash even if sides admits that they're the villain. But when Sidestep says "fuck you" to HG and runs away, Ortega thinks they're regene fake after the crush if they admit they're the villain. Is this is a bug or is there a specific reason for it?

It only matters what Sidestep has done, their deal with HG has nothing to do with it. If Sidestep has done acts so terrible that Ortega can't imagine Sidestep doing them, then they might be called fake. It's the broken illusion.

Something I have often struggled with is understanding how much 'prep' to do prior to starting writing. I find it very overwhelming to jump in blind, but when you plan everything out it gets boring. I know you've mentioned before not doing the latter, I'm curious how much prep you have in mind?

My prep is imagining cool things in the shower or while driving. Little scenes and sentences in a scrap folder. A big branching map on how all paths connect, but with little details there. I prep enough that I know where I am going, but not too much. It's a bit like when traveling to a new place for a vacation. I make sure to have a map how to get there, tickets, and the hotel where I will sleep. I don't research all cool places to see or where to eat beforehand. And I certainly don't make a schedule for the week with which sights I should see every day. I want the mystery of exploration to remain for the writing bit.

Are there any resources you use to keep track of branching paths and where they intersect?

Pen and paper. Still haven't found anything that beats it.

Do you make outlines? If so, do they tend to be questions you want answered in the chapter? A sentence? Paragraph? Goals for what is accomplished within them?

Very brief ones. Usually some notes of things like -fused path here, -learn this if you haven't, -can steal gun, and stuff like that.

This is what some of my outlines looked for Rebirth. The first is the bridge scene outline, and then my expanded bridgescene color checklist to make sure I have connected the dots. The last is the HG meeting outline. As you might notice, things changed from the first outlines (and the chapter numbers are never correct, they just are in the order of scenes I plot).

(Got better pictures in the attachment below)

Step makes a lot of mentions throughout the second book of preparing for some form of great calamity or event. My initial assumption was this would be the confrontation between them and the Farm, though I was just wondering more broadly if the nature of this 'event' changes depending on Steps motivations or if the 'event' is something destined to happen regardless of Step's involvement? (I'm curious if this is too specific for answers :o )

The great calamity is not dependent on Sidestep's actions or desires. The nature of what this is will be revealed in book 3!

For open telepath Steps, would it be possible for them to literally 'share' their trauma with ROs or friends? I am confident a Step is *able to* in terms of power (if their subterfuge is high enough at least), but would anyone actually be curious enough to want to experience it first hand? (I can't imagine telepathic projection of those memories as difficult as literally taking over someone's body or stilling an entire highway).

Sharing trauma telepathically might be even harder than talking about it. Especially if you consider how it might affect the other person. It sounds like a dangerous proposition, but right now the ones who would agree to that without thinking of consequences would be Ortega and Daniel.

Something I wondered about, why wouldn't Chen recognize the nanonvores and clock the Villain as Psi-sensitive or a telepath if they use them in order to open the door during the collapse? (If Step helps evacuate the civilians with him.)

Well, the "nanovores" don't eat people, so there's no reason for Chen to start thinking in that direction unless prompted.

based on an older Q&A Lord Ember is immune to HGs threading. If not too spoilery, how?

Lord Ember would say that he is simply too strong-willed, but the truth is that there is more to it that that. And he's not the only person in the book with that talent (and I am not talking about Ortega).

Will it be possible for Sidestep to revisit that same plane that Nazar experienced with the Void, with him?

Never say never, but it's not currently planned.

Is it in the cards that Nazar can become a traitor to Sidestep? I’m eyeing that 0 doubt…

Sidestep might already have become a traitor to Nazar...

What was the threat that threatened HG’s organisation so much that they felt they needed to take the boost with their brother and lieutenants?

A combination of several big bad boosted warlords consolidating their grasp on the rebuilding Los Diablos. The Void's expansion, and Psychopathor's reign were some of the ones we know. There were others, dead now.

Why did Noe decide on ‘Nocturne’ for her villain name?

She liked how it sounded, and it alluded to her powers.

Is this old man a character we, the reader + have access to Patreon, already know about?

They have been mentioned, yes.

If Lord Ember is immune to threading, does that mean he’s also immune to all psychic attacks/influences?

No. Sidestep's "dodging" worked perfectly back in the day.

Daniel tends to float when he sleeps. Does he tend to stay in one place over the bed or float all over the room? If he left a window open could he accidentally float out into the city?

Yes, he could do that. He doesn't open his windows that much anymore... but he has definitely found himself in some weird corner somewhere in the flat.

I was wondering, if Rat King ever got to get a body in the form of Dr Mortum fitting them on one of his failed roomba experiements, would the doctor consider this to finally be a success, or would the chaos of leaving five rat brains wheel around in a lab still be leading to failure?

I mean... some success might have unforseen drawbacks. I do think that the joyful "wheeeeeee" would make it worth it though.

If we stopped Ortega from shaving his mustache, we promise to not make fun of it again. But since we're a Villain liar that lies, will we still get to tease some more? Like finally getting him that Ranger-blue cap for his birthday?

There will be the full menu of hilarious/sincere birthday gifts!

You said before that you enjoyed people's reaction to re-reading and finding clues hidden in plain sight in the text. I was wondering if you had a favourite reaction, or one that surprised you the most? I personally can't wait to read Fallen Hero yet again after going through all your patreon posts and finding all the little hints I missed before and wondering where the ones we'll find about next are!

My favorite is the one person back soon after rebirth was released (I don't remember their name, it was on a fan discord) who made some really astute predictions and observations that nobody at the time took notice off and then never mentioned it again while I was sitting there going "oh shit". I know the Re-Gene and special directive was part of it, and they also nailed what went on with Argent and the nanovores based on the scene when you mind-dive into her head, and a path in the sewer fight. But my absolute favorite reaction in general is all the people who bought into Sidestep's completely reliable narrator voice, thought Ortega really was a nice b/h/imbo, and was shocked when they found out it wasn't the truth.

Is telekinesis connected to telepathy cause I remember wine class breaks weirdly & attention is drawn to it in the gala in rebirth? Also I may be jumping to wild conclusions here but, does sidestep have all forms of telepathy mentioned in the lore dump you put up a while ago or a least the ability to develop all the different telepathic disciplines?

Telekinesis and telepathy is not generally connected in the FH world, unless someone is a double boost. And at this point, Sidestep have most of them yeah. There will always be weird offshoots, but Sidestep is as wide-ranged as they come.

In the extra content on tumblr and patreon I've noticed that female characters tend to be featured less (with either Step and most of the other gender swappable characters usually defaulting to gender neutral/non-binary or male, or set male characters like Danny and Chen getting more extras than, say, Argent) so I was wondering if at some point there could be a chance to see more of the ladies or f/f material. It's not a big deal, just thought I'd selfishly ask given that I'm a lesbian with an obvious bias lol

For Argent, the reason was that I didn't want to go into depth with her until her secret was out after retribution was published. I couldn't go into backgrounds and internal thoughts without risking revealing too much of her nanoness. As such, her pieces was short and very controlled. Now that's out of the bag, and I can treat her like everyone else.

I will admit to trying to use the gender neutral terms as often as I can for Ortega and Mortum. And, Ortega in particular has had some pieces that has been more focused on Ricardo. Looking back, that's partly because Ortega was male in the original book, so that tends to be the default for me due to habit, and also because I've done some thinking about Ricardo's relationship with his dad (as in four funerals). Julia got some Hood pieces though.

Another thing is that many snippets and stuff have been asked for by readers. The tumblr things I used to do were little gift fics, and those were based on what people played. Sadly, there's a majority of Ricardo out there, and Herald was also very popular.

And lastly... I will admit to struggling more with writing femininity. I've always struggled with that part myself, I am genderqueer, but I've gone the whole route from "sure I am a boy" to "oh wait, I am butch" to "I am a he/him lesbian thank you very much" to "alright, this is complicated, genderqueer it is. " I'm 52 at this point, but I still am very ill at ease with my own femininity, and prefers it when people think I am a dude (many people at a first glance in real life). On bad days, I might be two steps out the door before having to run back and change clothes because they make me feel too feminine and self-conscious. It was easier being a full-time metalhead. So, writing women struggling in a man's world (like Julia) or being comfortable with their femininity (like Argent) can be more of a struggle on a bad day. I put a lot of myself into the various characters in this book, and some parts are easier to access than others.

But, I will say one thing! Please continue to ask for women, lesbians and everything else! It helps me to not default to the simple thing, and I love writing them! It's just sometimes easiest to go for the simplest route.

Oh shit sorry for the inconvenience I just read the lore on re-gene creation, I'm curious what are the chances of two clones of the same person with some genetic mods mostly testing different makeup suitability to the drugs in the same batch? I've been working on some headcannon in which my sidestep has a younger twin since their based of the same person.

Yeah, they usually prep a batch of similar regenes in a batch. Even small modifications can give different results, so there's usually at least a dozen at the start.

Speaking of HG’s threading, what exactly is the toll they have to pay for each one? Have to rest/sleep a bit longer (5 minutes more or something?) on a day to day basis? More lethargy in general? Can they guesstimate when threads need to be reinforced based on how active/awake they feel?

Physical tiredness. More sleep. A bit like a lion who has eaten a lot. HG can't feel threads breaking, but they have a pretty good estimate by now. They have physical reminders of important people, and try to have a good rotation going on.

You mentioned that if Jake gets stuck inside of things when he tries to re-solidify, he’d destroy whatever he was overlapping with and cause an explosion. How long does it take for him to recover from *that?* Would it kill him if something got stuck inside his head and he tried becoming tangible?

It depends on the material. Technically, the area is always filled with air. That and things like water and stuff doesn't pose any issue, that's just pushed out of the way. Hard stuff like bricks and wood fractures easily and explodes like shrapnel. It hurts, but doesn't damage Jake permanently. Solid and dense things like metal is more problematic. That will hurt Jake, but a thing in his head it wouldn't kill him. However, trying to solidify inside a massive metal cube might. It's easiest to think of it this way: Jake solidifies like ice forms, there's small kernels at various parts of his body that goes solid first, and as they spread, the material surrounding them gets pushed outwards and to the side. If it resists, it will break, break and explode.

On a scale of 1 to 100 how hard would it be to get Ortega, Argent, & Mortum to be in a poly relationship with Sidestep & actually get along? My Sidestep is clearly a glutton for punishment.

Oh boy, that's more on me if I can manage to write it. It's not impossible.

Hey what do Argent's eyes look like with three pupils? Because I keep thinking of Kashin Koji from nioh 2 which has some unsettling implications.

I googled that, but I only see glowing red eyes! Argents eyes is more like three small black pupils forming a triangle. A bit like the triangle laser sight of a Predator.

You mentioned before that Ortega misunderstood the tension between Blaze and Chen… what exactly is that tension between them *actually* born from?

They were sleeping together secretly.

Does Herald ever miss his old life?

Sometimes, yes. There was a lot of peace and quiet.

Will it be possible for Sidestep to become disgusted with themselves after punching Ortega?

Once Sidestep does some growth and thought. A discussion about that is coming.

What would HG have done if Sidestep had just... straight-up ignored their invitation? No puppet or sidestep themself appearing at Parkfield? Given a polite (or not-so-polite) "no thanks" and hid their goons so HG couldn't get to them for refusing?

I had that as a part originally, but the book became too long so I scrapped it. Basically, HG would have gone after stuff they could find close to the villain. For super secretive ones in the tunnels things might have been fun, but for people with staff in a penthouse things might get hairy. But I wanted to force the HG interaction for the story.

What would step have turned out like, had neither Ortega nor HG found them, but instead Vera who promptly assimilated them into her community(and maybe had a new partner along with arde)?

I dunno! You tell me, I'm not familiar enough with Vera yet.

If a particularly nasty Sidestep (mine) has been awful to Mortum and let their puppet fall in love with them, then revealed the truth about the puppet but after that they went 180 and sent that puppet into the fire to meet HG and then outright refuse or ignore Mortum's call for help with rescuing that puppet's body from ranger custody I assume the doctor will be very upset.

I think that is VERY fair to assume.

Is there going to be a way to be friends again or should that horrible Sidestep (mine) start looking for someone else to make their tech armors from now on?

I think there will be a way back, but it's not gonna be pleasant.

Assuming the regenerator works for her without any particularly nasty effects, what is the first thing Argent plans on doing after using it? Does she even let herself dream that far ahead?

She doesn't dare to dream. That would make her current reality even more horrible.

Jumping off again on one of my previous questions, Shroud needs to death-touch to live, but would repeated dips in the regenerator be able to supplement or outright replace "life energy" in her diet?

No. That would not help.

If we had a close friendship with Nazar, would he ever think about arresting Sidestep if they’re a famous, wanted villain, if it guaranteed him to become Marshal?

Oh that would be a tough call. It would depend on what kind of villain Sidestep was. A murderous one? Yes, without hesitation. A kind thief? Probably not.

Another springboard question, did Argent ever catch feelings or anything similar when flirting with other villains? Or is Sidestep villain just special in that case?

I think it might have happened once before, early in her career in San Francisco, but I don't think it was for a proper villain. Just one of those shady vigilantes that occasionally fights heroes too. Never went anywhere.

Pyroclast is said to be able to reach a temperature similar to actual pyroclastic flow, but can he also match the speed of a natural one? To put that into perspective, Wikipedia says that's anywhere from 100 to 700 km per hour.

No, he can't. A lot of that comes from explosions, hot air/water expansion, and downhill movement. He can't move fast at all. Well, unless Sentinel or someone similar would help.

Does nazar harbor any resentment towards ortega for the void’s death?

He says he doesn't. He might even think he's telling the truth. But...

And towards sidestep?

Nah, Ortega got the brunt of that.

Sidestep's role in stopping the Nanosurge was publicly hidden, but known among more informed circles. What about their killing of the Void? How did Ortega report that to their higher ups? What's the story that the public knows? What's the story the bigwigs of the world know?

To the "world," the Rangers killed the Void. No specification. This is not uncommon, when it comes to cults, things like that are often muddled to make sure there's not a single target for any survivor's vengeance. To the bigwigs/government, Ortega killed the Void. Ortega lied, with Sidestep's blessing. To have Sidestep kill the Void would be to put a big target on their back. Not only for revenge, but for recruitment. The ones that know the truth are the Rangers, Ashfall, and a few other, trusted, hero colleagues.

All these cool asks yet here I am * cough soo, uh.. we can definitely flirt in the armor with the ROs but would any of them be down to have some "fun" in-armor/costume? 👀 despite things like "afraid" status?

Not with the afraid status but... hehe, well...

Was the Big One purely naturally occurring? Or were any Boosts involved?

To have a boost be able to trigger something that cataclysmic would put them far beyond any form of power scale. Every single part of the disaster was something that was bound to happen eventually, it was linking them up like dominoes that made it this catastrophically bad.

Weird question but: how would the Rat King have reacted to Heartbreak if Step had had them at the time?

RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN!

Have the Rangers seen Argent’s three pupils? 👀

Ortega has.

How would the nanovores in Argent Show up in an X ray scan?

Argent manipulates the scanner to show a solid body. Like the rays can't penetrate her skin. That's the easiest way to deal with it, otherwise she would have to try to do detail work every time and remember how the hell her skeleton is supposed to go.

has work on book 3 started yet ^_-

Yes, there are several excerpts on the top tier, and I have pathed the start to bring everybody back to the same point. There is no demo yet, but I'll be working on pulling the excerpts into a single document soon so we can have the first glimpse into what happens after one of the end states. It's a bit more complicated than last book, since people start at different points.

How public would each of the Rangers make their defections? Would some of them fake their own deaths to establish their new identities without ties or would they throw off their positions in front of the press? Will Sidestep be able to help them in these endeavors?

I don't think any of them would fake their deaths. If they are at the point of switching sides, that means that they believe that what Sidestep doing is right (even if they might disagree with the means). Some might do it super publicly (hi, Ortega). Some might not make a big deal about it but let others put together the clues after their resignation (Steel).

If Chen was at the gala, how do you think the gala fight would've went down? Does Step still have a chance of success here?

If Steel had been there, the counterattack would probably have been a team effort. Argent likely wouldn't have stormed off. Steel wouldn't have had his armor, but he might have had weapons. Sidestep would still have had a chance of success since nobody would have been prepped for war, but it would have been harder.

If Argent managed to kill Step in the gala-sewer fight, how would Ortega react? Would their reaction differ with a massacre!Step?

If Argent had managed to kill Sidestep, nobody would have ever known. The villain would be... gone. Mysteriously. Maybe the armor would have been found floating in the bay, obviously dumped to avoid getting linked to the owner. And Sidestep the civilian would just have ghosted Ortega again, never meeting back up. Ortega would be heartbroken again, but also not surprised.

Will there be another chance beyond the meal at Hoots to establish Step as a vegetarian? I appreciated that option, and the mention that Ortega is cooking veggies instead of meat at their apartment.

When we have other meals, yeah! I need to adjust the other meals so you have the option to set it there too.

Were Blaze and Zephyr very close to the nanosurge when it happened? How was their involvement in that event?

Yeah, they were close survivors, being located near the beach. They spent their time rescuing civilians. Zephyr was fast, so they saved a lot of lives. Blaze was pretty much untouchable by the nanovores (high temperature) so he could keep small zones of them at bay (his range is not massive) while Zephyr worked. They both have nightmares about what they saw there.

How would the LD Rangers compensate with losing one, some or all of its members to villain Sidestep's side? Are there replacements lined up? Will other teams move in temporarily?

It is likely another team will move in until replacements can be found. The San Francisco team, for example, have several sub-teams and manpower to spare.

Where does Arde live and what are their accommodations like?

They live on a roof in Vera's neighborhood, they have a small house built on top. (it's common to "refurbish" older buildings with more improvised top floors). A lot of people know that they live there, but not that they are a regene. People think they are a vigilante, so they keep it an open secret. They mostly get around by jumping, there's not even proper stairs access to the floor anymore, just an improvised water line.

Was Tina's Aquarium the aquarium that we see in the HG's moray eel vision?

Yes. Yes it was.

Did Ortega believe they were the one most deserving of the marshal promotion after Hood's death? And did they ever consider rejecting it in hopes the role would be offered to Sentinel?

No, Ortega was as surprised as anybody else. But they never considered rejecting it, Sentinel would just have to deal.

How active are villains in Los Diablos? As in, on a weekly basis, how many fights/threats would the Rangers expect to deal with and what level of threat would be considered 'normal'?

I mean it depends on the level. Active villains can be everything from robberies to car thefts to massive terror attacks. The Rangers only deal with the biggest villains and events, so I would say that about one or two fights a month as a team. The individuals on patrol might do more, but that's more of an opportunity than a requirement. Nobody's asking the Rangers to stop a robbery. The one who is by far the most active in that respect is Herald. The least active is Steel, he's got a lot of admin to do instead of going on patrol.

Does Ortega recorder Sidestep if they're the one in the car instead of the puppet? If so, where does that tape end up?

Good question! Ortega always has that recorder...

If and when Argent does get the regenerator working, is there any unfinished business she’d want to attend to before trying to get rid of the nanovores? If she didn’t find out that sidestep was the one possessing her before using the regenerator (effectively), what would her plan of action be to confront them?

Hmmm. Oh that will be a BIG issue for her. I honestly is not sure what she would do. She is very aware she's the most deadly member of the team, but she's also desperate for her body back. Which path she will walk I won't know until I write her in that position.

Why is Porphyry in the Guardians? Didn’t they refuse to work with

Porphyry is not in the Guardians, they were in the Long Beach Heroes. If I ever implied that was the case, I was misunderstood, or messed up.

Is Sky-Raider gonna end his vacation voluntarily or may some event happen that he'll have to rush them?

He might not even have made it off the coast...

Are there any physical, non-mechanical materials that would interfere with telepathy? Like a literal tinfoil hat?

No. Not at this point.

Would Locus work with people that would be situated on the villain side?

Oh that would be a hard sell. Not impossible, but the treat ahd better be huge.

Sidestep is missing something vital in the livestockdreams and if their scar is 50 or less. Is that vital thing the same thing in both situations?

Yes.

At the end of livestock dreams, the scientist talking to Dr. Siepen is smiling (and can't stop) and so does Step, was that the first time Sidestep possessed someone?

Sort of... deep influence would be a better description, Sidestep was still in their body.

What would Dave's doubt score be?

80

Would Chen or Ortega be opposed to cloned replacement organs or limbs?

No. I think Chen half hopes that will be possible once he retires. At this point, his mods makes it easier to interface with the armor and make him more efficient. Lacking legs and one arm makes some interesting configurations possible.

is it possible for sidestep to let HG thread them even if their stats stopped it the first time? would that change with force v subtle?

No. It's a self-defense by Sidestep's mind.

‌How much does HG know about telepathy? Have they read anything about Ljungstrand?

Not that much, but they have read a little bit to try to work out their own abilities. They have read a paper of two written by Ljungstrand.

Is mortum currently helping anyone enhancing their boost abilities?

Mmmmmaybe.

Will step be able to talk with Mortum about some of their career events like The Void?  (I'm laughing so much at Mortum's rant about The Void and sidestep in this last snippet)

Yes, I think so.

How would Steel, Herald and Argent feel about learning the full breadth and depth of injuries Sidestep has both endured, then self-medicated/treated? Romanced and un-romanced?

Steel would not be surprised, Herald horrified, and Argent impressed. Wouldn't matter if there was a romance or not.

Why does Mortum think sidestep is juicer?

If it is from the last Mortum lore post, I will say that is spoilers and you need to add up the dots yourself.

Is the Threat That is Coming something that Sidestep can join or even incite to happen in some routes?

Definitely influence.

When Vernon met HG, did he meet them knowing they were HG? And when he walked away/finished the meeting, did he leave knowing he talked to HG?

Yes and yes.

If Sidestep was hit by temporary amnesia that takes them back to pre-first-escape mindset, and their RO/BFF had to take care of them for the week, how would they (the RO/BFF) react to a pre-first-escape version of step? Would anything in particular stand out to them?

Oh this is an impossible question to answer, because everybody's Sidestep's are different. Some might have changed a lot, others not much at all. So that is up to headcanons and your own personal Sidestep. But, I think that most would be perceived as more cheerful than the current version.

Was Shroud being used by the farm for the same cause Sidestep was but in a different way?

Yes.

Does Hollow Ground keep any aquariums in their home? Any with eels?

Yes for aquarium, but no eels.

Why is mortum so sure nothing could have survived in the gun for that long without being sane? Did anyone else get trapped before the Catfiend, like the Catfiend had been?

Oh yes. They made experiments to see how long things would last. Some of them not... nice.

Did Charles lie to Mortum - or at least withhold information - about the gun's capabilities?

OH yes he did.

We know Ortega and Argent find villain!step hot, but what about Chen and Danny? + Mortum Bonus: Objectively, would Mortum find hot a hero like sidestep? I mean we know they like charge

Chen doesn't find the villain hot, he might find Sidestep hot. Danny might, in some cases, especially the functional or mysterious armor. And Mortum agrees that heroes can be hot, they're just naive.

Adding on to the above: Which villain armor styles would each love interest, including the villains, find most attractive? ("Least unattractive" counts, if that's the best we can do.)

Functional: Herald. Chen. Mysterious: Ortega. Vera. Imposing: Argent. Sky-Rider. Terrifying: Mortum.

What does catfiend meat taste like? Can we turn it into an infinite burger machine?

Like ammonia and piss. Not edible.

‌Does Shroud know Ljungstrand?

Kinda. They've met.

Does Danny ever forget shit in his pockets and drop it? Like his phone or wallet or whatever?

Not more than others. When he floats, his clothes and pocket contents floats with him.

What happens to his hair/the hair of people he’s carrying with his powers when he flies? Discounting wind. Does it just float around like in a zero-g environment?

Yeah, it gets lighter, at times up to zero-g float. Wind and acceleration moves it a lot, but Danny truly has shampoo commercial light and fluffy hair most of the time.

Do HG's powers give them any way of detecting their own threads? For instance, if they suspected they'd accidentally threaded or failed to thread someone, could they "check" for threads somehow, or would they just have to observe the person's behavior?

Observe behavior.

On a related note, you've mentioned HG can undo their threads. Does that mean giving a counter-command, or can they telepathically remove threads? If the latter, is it more of a "Delete Selected Thread" or "Delete All Threads" (even ones they're unaware of) process?

It is either a counter command (requires touch), or letting the threads decay naturally and not renewing them.

sidestep napping on HG how smug would HG be about it

Very. Nocturne would roll her eyes.

If the Catfiend can no longer be affected by the Boost drug directly, could it still be affected by processed Boost biological materials? Like blood or flesh? Would Void blood even do anything for it.

I mean it would do things for it, nice things. But not spurt new boosts or damage them.

Asking for science, since HG is such a hype man (gn), would they send Step pictures like a Facebook mom (gn)? Will loser steps or steps with low arrogance get motivational speeches from their big supporting sibling?

I dunno, will need to see that. It's definetly not impossible.

How do HG and Jake manage drawing the line in their affair when it comes to work/personal life between the both of them? Do they do stuff just the two of them sometimes or their connection exclusively happens because of Nocturne? Do they feel awkward about this?

It is a bit more awkward. Nocturne is the glue there, they rarely do non-work activities together just the two of them. But they work together a lot, so...

Livestock dreams hints at bullying happening among regenes. Do the handlers notice? If they do, do they try to put a stop to it on the account of too much initiative taking or are they okay with it because it sows discord among regenes?

The handlers notice if it becomes overt, and usually puts a stop to it. However, so much about regene relations goes below their radar.

If step gave them a smooch or forehead kiss at the end of Rebirth how often does Ortega Think About It? Does step pushing them away make Ortega think about it more or less than if they agreed to be something more/complicated?

I mean it's impossible not to think about. And pushing them away makes Ortega think about it more.

Has Argent taken any trophies from villains she's beaten? Have any been given to her? Did she keep any of those/threw them all away?

Oh Argent has trophies. She has her own little trophy room though she doesn't show that to most people. She doesn't throw anything away. Ortega hasn't seen it...

Does Steel ever think of his life beyond/after the Rangers? If he does, what does he see himself doing in retirement?

Oh yes, he does. He's ready to retire. In his ideal life he'd take a year or two and slowly get most modwork replaced with cloned/grown bodyparts and the extensive physical therapy that requires. After that he might start is own business. Maybe a non-profit thing. Or a bar.

In the time between Ortega's accident and their father's death, what was their relationship like? More sour than usual due to Mr Ortega blaming his child for their recklessness or was there some sort of truce given the heavy circumstances?

It was more of a truce at the start, which soured fast Once Ortega realized that the opportunities they had been offered were influenced by their dad wanting them in the military.

Before Sidestep found ACE in a comatose state in that hospital, what would have happened if HG reached ACE first and used their power to order them to "WAKE UP"?

Wouldn't have worked. There was nothing in there to register a command. Ace wasn't asleep, they were empty. Wouldn't be able to process or understand the words.

How would the HG trio comment on the puppet being a mirror image of step, given that step is already a mirror image of HG's youngest sibling?

I mean just because it is a mirror image thing doesn't make them identical twins or anything. It would be mostly like "huh, you really did go and make the body you're hiding in look exactly like a younger version of yourself."

In the screenreader version, some of what Catfiend says are interpreted as words (e.g. tasty). Are these the actual thought of the catfiend, or just what sidestep thinks they mean?

If you try to speak the Catfield garbled text, you can hear words in them too. But yes, Sidestep IS tasty.

Does Tia Elena have dogs for help on the ranch? Will ranch stuck steps get to meet them if they exist?

Yeah, every ranch needs a dog or two. I don't know any details of them yet, so don't ask.

Would alcohol still have an effect on Argent or would the nanovores prevent it

It can, she avoids drinking too much.

In the rangerstuck scenarios of b3 sidestep is unsure whether it was steel or ortega, depending on the relationship status, who got them the new leg casts. Who was it actually?

Dunno yet.

when ortega snitches on sidestep in revealed mccrash, how did they do it? tell steel, who told the rest of them? reply all in the group chat?

He told Steel, who let the others know. Ortega was pretty banged up at the time.

Does HG know that they can’t influence emotions directly?

No, HG knows the outward effect on people, not exactly what happens inside them.

Even if they didn't tell them in the group chat, do they have a group chat? What's their dynamic? Do they leave Danny on read?

I think they have a group chat. Too funny not to. And no, they' don't leave Danny on read.

In a roof training scene, Danny describes how sparring with Step is different than with Ortega or Steel. How would he describe sparring with Argent?

Scary.

Is step's level of wealth gonna bear consequences down the line?

Yes. There's some possible big money sinks in book three depending on what you want to invest in.

For Sidestep's that go the sibling route with HG, can HG contribute their wealth and resources to the regenerator project?

Yes.

Any chances of ortega coming out to their mother in early b3 if you ended up staying at the ranch and are romancing them with a same gender step?

Guaranteed.

It's been mentioned that some of the characters have had... 'dreams' about sidestep... is there a possibility we might ever get one/some of them as lore posts...? As a treat?

This is not a nsfw patreon, but I'm gonna think about it!

In Argent's lore post at the auction she thinks she could take out all the villains in the room if she wanted to. Would this have really been the case or was she overstimating her abilities?

Argent bragged just a little bit. It would be hard for her if she didn't want to kill everyone there and just go full nanoswarm.

Did/does Sentinel know Daniel looked up to Step?

That was kind of impossible to ignore.

Did Pyroclast actively choose to join the SF Rangers or was he assigned to that team?

He actively choose to.

Would he have joined the Rangers if he had to be on the LD team?

What would the team dynamics be like if Pyroclast was on the LD team?

He wanted a break from Los Diablos and a fresh start. It would have been too tense at the time, these days it might work better.

When was the last time the LD Rangers, or any Rangers teams I guess, worked with the SD?

I would say a year or so ago for all the teams.

According to the MC, all four Rangers' hair is either as soft as or softer than it looks. That got me wondering: are there any characters whose hair is coarser/rougher than it looks? What's the apparent-softness:actual-softness ratio on our new villain ROs? (I understand if that last question is too big a spoiler to answer.)

Hmmm. I would say that Sky-Riders probably is not as soft as it looks, since he bleaches it. That tends to be rather rough on the hair. But also, I think it comes from the point that Sidestep doesn't touch people that much privately, and when you run your hands through someone's hair and it's not filled with various hair products to look official it can be surprisingly soft.

is Sentinel invited to the birthday party?

Yes.

Any chances of Step eventually getting over their photo-phobia and be willing to take a cute couple pic with their RO?

Oh boy. The biggest challenge. Why not fight the Catastrofiend instead?

Since Locus literally reads people's mind, she can't read animal's minds like Sidestep can, can't she? Would she be impressed by Sidestep? Would she be interested in learning?

Yeah, Locus can't read animals. And yes, she would be impressed and a bit jealous.

After finding out that Sidestep was a regene, did Steel ever suspect Ortega might've known if they had dated Step in the past? Given that it was plausible for them to have seen them naked

Chen definitely thought Ortega might know. Especially since Ortega was so secretive and protective about Sidestep. But it's not a thing you just ask...