January QnA (updated)

Updated the QnA since I missed a bunch of questions the first time, they are at the end!

If romanced, how lasting were the effects of Sidestep's 'death' on Ortega's dating life? For instance, during the apartment scene, Ortega admits that they were in love with Sidestep in the past. Also, during the past, Ortega appears to have been quite promiscuous. Post heartbreak, say by a few years but before Rebirth, had Ortega moved on and found someone to replace the MC, or was the baggage from everything that had happened still very much there?

A romanced Sidestep's death pretty much broke Ortega. There were no real relationships after that, not even attempts. And, as Sidestep might find out, Ortega wasn't quite as free with their favors in the past as Sidestep might have thought. At least the way Ortega sees it.

I have a Sidestep that's romancing everyone possible (aside from Chen) just for the chaos of it. Will that inevitably blow up in their face.

I find it very hard to imagine it won't. But, since I haven't written it yet, who knows? 

A more lighthearted question: who has the best handwriting, and who has the worst?

Best to worst: Daniel, Ortega, Argent, Chen, Mortum.

If he meets with Ortega, he says that he has long been in love with Sidestep, the question is whether romantic Ortega's feelings for Sidestep depend on our past relationships? For example, if we were just friends with him and were not secretly infatuated?

It should depend on your past relationships; if you were old friends and allies, there were no romantic feelings at that point. Ortega had no secret infatuation at the time; they would have acted on it. Ortega is not patient enough for long-time sustained pining.

However, if Ortega did fall in love with Sidestep in the present day, they might think back and kick themselves for being an idiot and not realize that they had a crush. Hindsight is always 2020 (do we need to retire that expression now?), but that's a lot of construction on their part.

One final caveat, there might be a bug somewhere where I simply forgot to have Ortega's comments variable depending on if you had a thing in the past or not. I'll go through and check out, so I'm not implying anything I'm not intending to.

Who was Anathemas favorite Ranger, or who was he closest to? Was it the same person?

Anathema was closest to Ortega, but I think they liked Sunstream more. Ortega can be a bit of an asshole, but that part was also why they managed to get close to Anathema, not exactly under the skin, but as close as anybody got. Sunstream kept to herself and was more of an introvert, which was relaxing to Anathema to be around. No questions, they could just hang out. (Note that Sidestep wasn't a Ranger, so it is not included in this).

Hollow grounds family, are they alive and well?

No. HG's father died when they were a teenager, their mother a decade or so ago. No surviving siblings either. Right now, their crime family is their family.

Does Ortega ever think about the first meeting in the cafe? Does he ever wonder that he could have never run into Sidestep? 

All the time. Probably a few nightmares there.

If Sidestep was able to read Ortega's mind, would it change his perception of Ortega, how different he would be from Ortega Sidestep has conjured in his mind?

Quite different. It can vary depending on the Sidestep, but Ortega has parts they don't show anybody. Chen has seen some of them, Sentinel and Anathema might have spotted others. Sidestep has probably seen parts that neither of the others has. Ortega can wear very different masks depending on the circumstances.

What would be the Rangers' favorite TV shows? 

Ortega likes to travel, sports and adventure. They don't really do either of those much anymore, so it's nice to live through others. Not that they watch much television, other than when injured or depressed. Voted most likely to shout "advice" at the screen during sports.

Chen likes nature shows. Lowkey, charming, preferably with British narrators. Or documentaries. He watched a lot of those when out of action. Has most likely watched everything Attenborough narrated.

Daniel is a fan of those reality competitions shows, cooking, fashion, baking, whatever. His guilty pleasure is those reality interaction dramas where people date, get drunk, and makes bad decisions. Has probably watched Bridezillas.

Argent likes drama shows, and she consumes a lot of them. She's quite the genre hopper, but has a sweet spot for horror/supernatural things with personal drama. Or detective stories. Owns all the X-files on DVD.

Did Ortega originally want a different hero name than the one they ended up getting? If so, why? 

Ortega was fine with the name; they feel it suits both their powers and their nature. Besides, a lot of the cool lightning names were taken.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Lord Ember's used to go by Ember Fall. Why did he change it? (If he did, I think I'm remembering wrong and mixing that up with Ashfall changing his hero name.)

No, you are right, I think I might have mentioned that in an old AMA. Lord Ember ditched his old name when he got to the position he is in the San Francisco underworld. He wanted something more impressive, especially with Ashfall becoming a full Ranger up in Seattle and gaining more fame. Didn't want any more confusion. And then Ashfall changed it, which was another slap in the face.

During the questions, you answered around Christmas a couple years back, about who The Rangers' favorite hero's were, Argent's response was Ashfall. Ashfall seems pretty close to Emberfall. Are they connected in any way? (Again, if I'm not messing that up. XD ) 

Lord Ember was truly annoyed that Ashfall had, in his opinion, copied his name back before he changed it. In fact, it is a very one-sided rivalry. Lord Ember cares far too much about what Ashfall does and has at this point become convinced that many completely unrelated acts are, in fact, a slight against him personally. He really loathes Ashfall, who is completely unaware of this fact.

All of FH playlists seem to follow the order of events in books. What about Mortum's playlist? Are the songs just their themes with no specific time frame? Do they represent a time when Mortum just arrived at Los Diablos? Or are they to be taken in the current time since the start of book 1?

Mortum's list is also in order. It starts with them arriving in the US and ends with them being a villain. Approximately. It's an origin story.

It's not such a big deal since both of them are, of course, consenting adults, but how does Mortum feel about their age gap with the Puppet before the reveal? By the time they start flirting, Mortum is in their 40's and Puppet is in their 20's. I know that Sidestep is supposed to be older in mind, but damn, Mortum has some self-confidence to hit on Puppet like this.

Mortum is a little self-conscious about it; they are very aware of the age difference. But it's also a very flattering thing, even if they thought the Puppet might just be a gold digger at the start. Honestly, Mortum never thought the flirting would work; that was just a part of their persona. They have no idea how to properly handle it.

Has Mortum been in any serious relationship since their transition? Or have they been straying from any serious entanglements and had casual flings? Or did they opt out of being close and intimate with people overall?

No serious relationships. The last one they had ended during transition and that left a scar. There have been one or two casual flings, but in general, Mortum's true love has been science.

Will the Rat King get their own body? And, what is their relationship with Psychopathor?

They might, I have the option planned at least. Can't promise for all paths yet. They liked Psychopathor enough, but since he was only psi-sensitive and not a telepath, there was no communication the same way. They don't exactly miss him, but there's no hard feelings.

I read that environmental changes in the womb are what create differences in fingerprints. So my question is, do ReGenes all have the same fingerprint because they all have a controlled environment during decanting? Or is it possible they just have no fingerprints, and if they are all different, is there a reason why? 

They do not have the same fingerprints. The conditions are not the same when they are grown; they are varied extensively as part of the process to provoke different reactions to the Boost drugs.

How many handlers are there, and how many Re-Genes is there per one handler?

It varies. I have not decided on a set number of handlers, but it is a specialized role. There are two variants of handlers, field operatives, and research staff. A field operative handler is in charge of a team of ReGenes, usually between one to five individuals, depending on the purpose. 

Cuckoos usually work solo, so there a handler works with a single gene. 

Infiltration teams (with or without cuckoos) are small, two or three specialized ReGenes run by a handler.

Combat teams are larger; four or five ReGenes used to work together, with the handler as the commander. These handlers are often heavily modded to keep up.

Research staff handlers don't work off-site; they are in charge of training ReGenes, and can, depending on their skill set, have between one and ten ReGenes in their care.

If the RO's could pick anywhere to take a holiday, where would they go?

Ortega: Hawaii

Chen: Macao

Daniel: Paris

Argent: Venice

Mortum: New York

Do any of the ROs have tattoos?

Not that I have decided, this is a headcanon thing. However, Chen did use to have one before he lost his arm. From his army days.

What was Mortum like in college?

Not well-liked. Too intense, bordering on being an obnoxious know-it-all but with the genius to back it up. Probably got along with exactly one teacher and despised the rest. It took a while before they grew into their skin and could start being charming; that was long after college. Sometimes you need a bit of villainy to let the anger out first.

Does spoon ever sleep in Chen's bed?

He's not supposed to, but yes. Often. Since Chen detaches his legs before sleep, there's plenty of room.

What's the ballpark number for how much Step personally has cost Genentech & the special directive.

Oh boy. A LOT. I have no idea of how much the dollar is worth in this world with economic collapse and deflation in the eighties, but probably in the range of a fighter jet or three.

Who designed/made Sidestep's suit? or where did they get it, in general?

Sidestep got the suit through Ortega, it was made by the same company that manufactured the Ranger suits, so it was high quality. As for the design, that is headcanon. It was finalized by a professional designer, but how much input Sidestep had on the process varies. It might have been based on a homemade suit Sidestep had, or on sketches, or without input at all.

Is it common for telepaths to be able to connect with animals' minds? or is Sidestep a rare/unique case?

It is not universal by any means. It would be rare; many telepaths have a natural aversion to things that operates on wavelengths they don't understand. Sidestep is used to that.

Between the five ro's, most to least jealous ranked.

Most to least: Argent, Mortum, Chen, Daniel, Ortega.

Why does Ortega have three names? 

Because of a fight between their respective grandmothers on their fathers and their mother's side, they got three names instead of the more common two to keep the family peace. It was simply the easiest way to keep everybody happy, and carry on names that were seen as traditional on their sides of the family. (I stole that backstory from what happened when I was named, and that is the reason why my younger brother has so many names)

If I'm not mistaken, it looks like Ortega's surnames are García Ortega, implying they go by their mother's maiden name. Is this true? And if so, why?

This is indeed true. Ortega was never fond of their father, and when they started out recording daredevil videos with their group of friends, they choose to use the name Ortega as an alias in the videos. They hoped their father would not find out and complain about dragging the family name in the mud. That failed, but the name stuck, and Ortega's been the name they have used ever since.

In the demo for book 2, when they have dinner with Ortega, Sidestep thinks about "that paper in the office, the front page showing everything you feared", what was on that paper exactly?

The headline was something in the vein of "Former Marshal living it up on the town with their new girl/boyfriend." It had pictures of Ortega making out with a pretty man/woman, and the article talked about how Ortega had moved on after resigning and living their best life. Not really the truth, but it helped make Sidestep think that everyone had moved on and forgotten about them.

If Re-Genes all have diff blood types, are they reg blood types humans have, or would they have even more diff types? 

They are regular blood types, but the proportions might vary from the general norm, just like in other isolated populations.

Maybe kind of a weird question, but what types of weather do the rangers + Mortum like? Are they all warm and sunny types, or do any of them prefer cold and dreary and rainy, or maybe snowy, or what?

Ortega loves snow and tries to take the time to get to the mountains for some skiing now and then. It's harder lately without Sentinel around for a quick lift. Argent likes warm weather, but overcast. Full sun makes her too shiny. Daniel loves the sun; the California weather is so much nicer than Boston. Chen prefers cooler climates, but this is where he lives now. He's fond of rain. Mortum likes heat; they get cold easily.

How well does Ortega think they actually know Sidestep? 

Depends. Some days they are sure they have them pegged. Other days they are a complete mystery. I think it's safe to say that Ortega THINKS they know Sidestep better than they actually do.

What did each Ranger think when they first saw Sidestep at the Rangers headquarters in Rebirth? 

Argent: Wow. This is Sidestep? What a letdown. Daniel: I can't believe it! They don't look anything like in the movies. Chen: Oh no. This complicates things. Ortega: Oh boy, they actually can see Sidestep. What a relief. 

How do Re-genes minds feel like for Sidestep? Do they feel different from humans? 

Less variation. More order. Less circular, if that makes sense. Easier to read and predict.

What was Nocturne like before she reinvented herself? Did she leave any people behind when she started her new life? 

Nocturne was an introvert and a shut-in due to her severe agoraphobia; she preferred to not meet people in person if she could help it. She worked for IRS and did most of her work online, and while she was very good at it, she didn't have any close friends or family that she cared about.

How does Shroud feel about Re-genes? 

She has no real feelings about them; she tries to avoid them if she can.

How did the Special Directive Re-gene team in Rebirth view each other? Tools working in the same unit or something more? 

Tools in the same unit would be the best description. Close bonds are not encouraged.

Before HG had Nocturne and Jake to take care of the troublemakers, how did HG deal with meetings that turned violent? Or did their meetings always end well? 

Oh, their meetings generally ended well, but HG had other enforcers before Jake. In fact, Deadeye used to have a similar bodyguard position before Jake got promoted.

Were Lord Ember and Lady Argent enemies/nemesis, or is there something more to their history? Does he know Lady Argent's weakness? 

They were enemies and might even be considered nemesis. Of course, there's also more to that story, but not all truths will be revealed yet. And yes, he knows Lady Argent's weakness.

How do each Ranger and Dr. Mortum like to spend their birthday? Do any of them do anything special or prefer not to make a big deal out of it? 

Ortega always throws a party, it used to be at expensive clubs with lots of people, they are smaller affairs these days. They are also the one that makes sure Chen gets a birthday party, and Daniel (neither of them wants to make a big thing out of it). Argent likes smaller celebrations but always makes sure there is cake. Mortum likes to throw a party too but used to be more into it in the past. Not as fun when you get older.

Why did Hollow Ground choose that name as their villain name? 

It is an allusion to their earthquake powers, but mostly they just like the sound of it. Sounds vaguely sinister, a play on Hallowed Ground. (Honestly, I don't even know where the name came from. It was there at the start and I never questioned it).

Besides the money, did any of the mob boss henchmen have any other reasons for being willing to sign up with the new villain whose plan is to against the mysterious kingpin of LD? 

Nope. Sidestep made very sure to get people who didn't have any other, complicating goals when they recruited them.

What do Jake, Nocturne, and Hollow Ground like to do in their free time? 

Jake likes to go clubbing, play pool and generally be around people. He's a social butterfly. Nocturne likes to read and spend time on her own. HG likes to laze around, sleep or work on their aquariums.

Does Rat King have any opinion on Rangers and Dr. Mortum? 

Not any solid ones on their own yet; they are mirroring what Sidestep feels right now.

Are the powers from Hero drug completely random, or is there something specific that affects what kind of powers a person gets?

They are not completely random. Current theories favored are that they are reflected on very strong feelings in the boost around the moment of change, but the exact nature varies. Someone angry might get strong, or fire powers, someone scared might get armor, or go invisible and things like that. The Farm works on trying to perfect what stimulus gives what reaction.

It has been mentioned throughout the story that Mortum could have potentially made a better suit if Sidestep was willing to wait and pay more. If Sidestep did take the approach of time and money being no issue, what would the suit look like? Especially in comparison to what Sidestep can have now?

It would most likely have included all the options available, and possibly some sort of distance weapon. The powercore would be the key there.

In book 1 and 2, Sidestep can potentially lay a beatdown to Argent and Jake respectively. How many times has this happened to them after they truly grew into their abilities? Also how did they feel about that possible situation?( To be clear, I'm asking about the strength beatdown for Jake and either of the physicals for Argent)

Not often, they are both powerful fighters. Maybe once, or twice, not more. What Sidestep did left marks on them, and not just physical ones. They are not used to losing like that.

Sidestep can have a different legacy as a hero depending on their actions, with the acknowledged being a known hero with thirty points. However Sidesteps could potentially get more points than that. What would a hypothetical Sidestep with "max hero points" have been known as in the past?

I don't differentiate between max points, and enough to be a hero. That's the top, they wouldn't allow enough press to get close to get more famous than that.

Will there be any possible polyam options for Mortum, or are they too far removed from the other LIs?

Yes, I do have ones planned for book three, the ones I know are with Ortega or Argent, the rest we'll see.

I recently replayed Rebirth, and when you're first going into the new Rangers HQ and you're nervous, Ortega jokingly promises they wont bite. You respond "I'll hold you to that promise."  Argent bit me. Will I be able to jokingly hold Ortega to their promise?

Oh good spot! I'll have a look, that would be a fun addition.

I totally understand if this would be impossible but is the MC ever going to be able go to the hero side again and stop being a villian ( not necessarily become a hero again but be on the good side if that makes since).

Depends on your definition of what a villain is, it might not be as simple as right or wrong. There will definitely be options to move closer to that side at the very least.