Questions for the Author:

  Q: You write a variety of characters with different thought processes, backgrounds, personalities, and often have clashing points of view. How is it that you are able to write that diversity of characters in a believable manner and make it feel real?

  A: A large part of this is just meeting people of different backgrounds and cultures, talking to them, and getting to know them. The more people you know, the more types of people you feel comfortable writing. Of course, there’s going to be times where secondhand experience isn’t enough, and when that’s the case? I choose to call upon those friends as sensitivity readers. I don’t pretend to know everything, but I do my best to stay reasonably informed.

  Q: What do the demographics of moonshots look like? Are they a pretty representative sample of the population at this point, or do they e.g., skew young, nonwhite, lower class or lgbt?

  A: The demographics of Moonshot don’t have any particularly identifiable skew, largely because there are a LOT of Moonshot who just… don’t stand out. Either they have powers that they don’t really use for one reason or another, or their powers are subtle enough to let them fly under the radar. Of course, sometimes these powers become absolutely horrifying in the wrong hands, such as a power that’s great for mundane utility also being terrifyingly effective at creating time-delay bombs with unconventional explosives and unpredictable locations… but those are very much the exception. The only bit of Word of God that I’ll provide on this matter is that there’s a skew away from positions of power or authority — whatever it is that superpowers come from, it seems to bear some awareness that power, no matter the form it takes, is still power, and so it will try to find a home in an area of lower “power” density. Sort of like osmosis. In practice, what this means is you’ll find very few Moonshot among the 1%, and almost none among the 0.01%, unless they (like Naomi) are the black sheep for one reason or another.

  Q: Do you have plans for more interactions with Moonshot? I’d love to learn more about Naomi’s past as Foxfire. ——— Addendum from another asker: has Naomi ever considered connecting more with other Moonshots? They'd be some of the few people who can really understand a lot of what she's been through and it would be interesting to see how they interact.

  A: Book 2~

  Q: Are we ever going to get a Gorou slice-of-life interlude???

  A: Oh absolutely, 100%. I’ll want two of these, actually — one for at home in the USA, and one for when Naomi is visiting the family members that like & accept her in Japan, who you’ll be meeting in Book 2.

  Q: I guess most of my questions relate to the impact of Moonshot on popular culture. Was there a decrease in stories about people with sudden fantastical powers, or did those stories help people make sense of the changing world around then? How did the appearance of Moonshots affect the relatively new medium of video games? Did the Shin Megami Tensei series still happen/continue with Gorou as living proof of kami?

  A: To take these in order: (1) There was a brief surge when A3 and A2 Moonshot were the only ones in the public eye, but once governments started realizing what the heck was up with A1 Moonshot, they all started applying subtle pressure to publishers to, well… slowly stop greenlighting such stories unless they took place in either fully fantastical or far-future settings, to the point that urban fantasy as a genre just outright died… with one exception. (2) Video games were that exception, though they were subject to a bit of additional scrutiny from the ESRB, PEGI, etc. as opposed to our timeline, as they were a great way to try and shape opinions about what to do with powers and what not to do. As an example, the Grand Theft Auto series still exists, but NONE of the playable characters are Moonshot, and there’s a point at which superheroes will join the police on the hunt for you, and that’s basically an instant game over. (3) I genuinely hadn’t thought about that, but given Book 4 is slated to be set in Japan, I’ll reserve the right to hold onto this one until later.

  Q: Does Naomi like ear scritches and a good tail brushing? What were Naomi's University days like? Did she have a favorite professor or class? How does Ambrose feel about basically becoming Naomi's dad? What was that like for both of them as they became a family? Will we learn more about the circumstances that brought Naomi and Gorou together? What is a typical day like for Gorou and does he ever wish he had hands or at least thumbs? Has Naomi ever gotten the urge to chase a squirrel?

  A: Hoo boy… okay, once more in order: (1) Yes, so very much so, and she will start making noises that physically aren’t possible to make with a human voice box. (2) Naomi’s time at Oxford was wonderful, partly because Ambrose took a sabbatical from the diplomatic service during those four years and taught as a guest professor during that time. Her favorite two classes were the pair Ambrose taught: an in-depth seminar on challenges in modern international politics, and a deep-dive seminar on the literature within the Arthurian canon. (3) Ambrose is a combination of ecstatic and reticent; he’s taken on this sort of father-figure role before, and despite his best efforts, it Did Not End Well?. Suffice to say he’s doing his best to avoid the mistakes from his first time around. (4) Neither of them could quite tell you when it happened, just that at some point, the trust and love was just… there. (5) Uh… *glances at book 2’s first interlude, which is 8000+ words of exactly that* … yeah you could say that. (6) Less relaxed than you’d expect. He’s sort of “on call” with the Japanese embassy because it’s very hard to question some of the choices they’ve made in the last 17 years when they can call the ambassadors of other East Asian and Southeast Asian countries together and plop a literal four-tailed kitsune down on the table. As for thumbs, his tails are dextrous enough that he doesn’t need thumbs to do anything. (7) Much to her chagrin, she has, in fact, chased a squirrel. AND she once dove headfirst into a snowbank.

  Q: Am I correct to assume that the "Other Fox" mentioned in Ambrose's notes is Casey?

  A: No, I’m afraid not.

  Q: For the main gang: What’s everyone's favorite color?

  A: I’m gonna answer this one up here because it’s easier. Naomi’s favorite colors are pink and lilac. Gorou’s is sky blue. Ambrose is fond of a good burgundy. Julio and Fatima both like red, but whereas Julio will just say ‘red’, Fatima will specify that she only likes darker reds, the ones that bleed into the cooler shades as opposed to something bright and in-your-face like ‘sports car’ red. Casey, meanwhile, enjoys teal and seafoam green.

  Questions for the Characters:

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Q: Naomi: Assuming you enjoy music at all, how different and difficult is it to get good quality sound given your physiological differences and heightened hearing? I would imagine headphones and even earbuds are largely out. Do you have to test out any speaker systems yourself before purchase given that they aren't really tested or reviewed for superhuman hearing? What sort of DAC do you use if you aren't using vinyl? Do you need to measure things like frequency response, impedance, and distortion yourself to get a better idea of what the listening experience will be like for you? It sounds like a lot of work, but I bet a lot of music sounds totally different for someone with your hearing compared to baseline humans.

  A: “Oh, that’s, um. That’s a good question! Well, um. I used to like some of the more alternative or ‘edgy’ stuff, but once my ears went from the side of my head to the top, I found I just couldn’t enjoy it anymore. It all sounded like noise for the sake of noise. Nowadays, I mostly listen to instrumental music, classical, and acoustic or ‘unplugged’ versions of rock songs. But only if they were recorded with sufficiently high fidelity, otherwise all those artifacts and distortion pull me out of it. Also, as you might expect given how my ears are shaped and positioned? I can’t use headphones or earbuds. I used to have this clip-on earbud that the NMR made me use for the radio, but that thing hurt after more than an hour, and I’ve yet to find a design that works. Um… as for speaker systems, I’ve got this really nice one installed in my townhome, with really nice surround sound and a minimum of distortion. The highs and lows are limited, because those can both leave me disoriented at high volumes. And you do not want to know the cost. But it’s lasted me for five years now, and I probably won’t need to replace it anytime soon!

  Q: Naomi, what is an impact of the changes in your life that would not be noticed by anyone, but still noteworthy?

  A: “I can’t take phone calls in public. Phones are made for people with ears on the sides of their head. Either I have to move the phone up to my ear when I want to listen, then down to my mouth when I want to speak, or I have to use speakerphone at all times. Neither of these are conducive to taking a phone call in public. Also, I can’t sit in solid-backed chairs for overly long, otherwise my tail gets all cramped. These aren’t things your average person is going to notice, just because these aren’t the kinds of considerations they need to take into account on a daily basis. But for me? The world isn’t made for people with tails, or with ears on top of their heads, which means that I’m the one who has to change what I’m doing to accommodate the norm.”

  Q: And a question for Naomi, is she aware that her use of foxfire isn't a Moonshot ability?

  A: “Huh? Look, just because the first time I threw a ball of foxfire at something I wasn’t all foxy yet, that doesn’t make it not a Moonshot ability, it just means that I’m weird, and probably fall under another two exceptions that people haven’t figured out how to qualify yet.”

  Q: Naomi: what's the weirdest case you've had?

  A: “... you know what? I actually don’t know. I’m pretty sure my definition of what is and isn’t weird has gotten a bit skewed over the years, so, um. I know this probably isn’t the answer you wanted, but it’s the one I’ve got.”

  Q: Naomi: Opinions on award winning MMO Final Fantasy XIV, the free trial of which now includes…? (Or MMOs in general)

  A: “Um… I, um. I’m sorry, I don’t know what that is. Or what those are. I… think you’re talking about video games, right? Um, sorry to say, but… I don’t play them.”

  Q: Naomi and Casey: Opinions on Fallout New Vegas and IKEA’s selection of stuffed animals?

  A1: Naomi — “... um. I’m going to guess that that’s a video game, so see above, but as for the latter? I… haven’t set foot in an IKEA in years, so I am the wrong fox to ask.”

  A2: Casey — Casey’s response to the former was so long that it would be easier to substitute hbomberguy’s video in why Fallout New Vegas is excellent. As for the latter, Casey clammed up and went a bit pale.

  Q: Gorou: what changes does Naomi have that she hasn't noticed yet?

  A: “Her eyes. Her pupils narrow to slits when her blood is up.”

  Q: Gorou: What are the best and worst parts about living in America and being Naomi’s roommate?

  A: “The best part is the easy availability of so many types of food. Fruits, cheeses, meats, fish. The worst part is the semi-secrecy to which I am expected to keep myself. I need not go out of the way to remain indoors at all times, but unlike in my homeland, the sight of one such as myself would draw terror and confusion as opposed to curiosity and respect.”

  Q: Sir Ambrose Camden: Does Naomi call you Dad often?

  A: “Far more often than the dear girl realizes, particularly when she is excited or exhausted. I am torn as to whether she even remembers saying it, but have decided that it matters not.”

  Q: Alice Tanaka-Schotz, Esq (Naomi’s boss): Has Naomi’s status as an ex-superhero (and perhaps current very obvious Moonshot) caused any logistical problems for the firm? Conversely, has it had any notable benefits?

  A: “You have no idea. The firm needs to carry extra liability insurance, though the fact that Naomi maintains a valid flier’s license keeps it from being too much of a financial burden, particularly when it is only meant to cover her. The bigger issue is the need for additional paperwork for any trial she’s involved in. Those big ol’ ears of hers? Those things aren’t for show. She can and does overhear things she is very much not supposed to, including whispered conversations between opposing counsel, and given she’s caught a Brady violation before? Oh, right; a Brady violation is the failure to disclose exculpatory evidence to a criminal defendant. And that is only two of the difficulties inherent in having an open Moonshot working for you, so suffice to say that yes, Naomi’s status has been a bit of a logistical nightmare. All of this is offset by the raw benefit she provides, though. Prior to bringing Naomi on, approximately fifty firms handled relatively equal portions of the Moonshot-related cases coming through DC, whether in civil court, criminal court, or claims directly against the NMR through the Court of Federal Claims. Once we brought Naomi on, and I felt confident enough in her work to make a separate tab for her on the firm’s website? Those proportions changed almost overnight. Naomi brings in almost a hundred cases per year more than we used to have, and a good chunk of them aren’t even Moonshot-related! They are simply brought by people who know Moonshot, and Naomi’s mere presence at the firm increases its attractiveness to such potential clients! Obviously there’s more to it, but I’ve talked your ear off enough already, so I’ll let you go now.”

  Well, that’s all for the first Q&A!

  Given that this was the Patrons’ rodeo with it, though, how about this? I’ll take more questions from y’all, to be answered during the next break week. I can’t guarantee I answer every question, and there’s definitely going to be some repeats, but I’ll try to get to at least the most interesting ones.

  If you have a question you want answered, just leave it for me down below. It would help me immensely if you identified it with a great big “QUESTION:” at the front, though.

  And with that, I bid y’all adieu for now!~