On The S.I.D.E.

Q&A

So... I believe I mentioned that I was gonna do a Q&A, and here we are. Thankfully, there were a lot of questions to answer.

Q: Can Virgil actually use his shadow to make someone shut up?

A: If people are scared enough, yes. Other than that, no---Virgil is capable of shutting Nox up if he's at full power (i.e. not leaning over a toilet puking his guts out), and Nox is capable of taking Virgil places (like class, for instance), but they don't usually do it and just resort to bickering.

Q: Is there anything Roman can't create?

A: Yeah, actually! He can't create actual human beings, or anything with intelligence that's near-human (aka able to communicate with humans). And while he can create animals, he needs to transfer a little bit of his energy into them in order to keep them alive, so he mostly just sticks to objects... and he can also make any of his creations disappear if he wants to, so none of his animal creations tend to last very long.

Q: Will we ever get the chance to murder Augustina?

A: I... I would like to remind you that you are readers... and you can't actually go into the story and kill her... but what happens to her is a major spoiler and I'm gonna be keeping that firmly under wraps.

Q: How is that superhearing kid handling Janus and Remus's nighttime routines?

A: Corbin has finally listened to his boyfriend and purchased earplugs, which definitely help. And it's summer in the story at the moment, which means he doesn't have to deal with it.

Q: How long did it take for you to write the fic?

A: I started it at the beginning of August, where, at the time, I gave up on all of my Sanders Sides AUs after a couple of chapters. But, the hyperfixation stayed, and I managed to write 24 chapters before posting it in November (though I stopped for a couple of weeks to focus on some other stories). As for the rest, well, you know how long it took me.

Q: You clearly love world-building, how did you come up with Academy of S.I.D.E? / How did you first create the Academy of S.I.D.E. AU?

A: Well, the general idea was something that I had in mind for a while---an AU where all of the Sides are teens with superpowers---but I didn't really get the full picture of the Academy and the plot until reading the amazing Gallagher Girls series. That made me want to do a spy AU, and rather than working on two separate AUs, I decided to take the dim idea that I already had and put it with this idea that I had a more clear concept of. As I continued working on it and getting more and more ideas about the world, some elements of Harry Potter and the X-Men kind of wormed their way in there, too---mostly with the legacy-Aberration thing and the genetic aspect of it, respectively. So... yeah.

Q: Who was your favorite character to write and why?

A: Oh, jeez... well, Janus has always been my absolute favorite to write---mostly because I'm a complete sucker for morally grey characters who are also gay, dramatic bastards---but then again, Virgil has a lot of me inside, so it's fun to be able to draw from my own internal monologue. Both of those characters have also been done pretty dirty by the fandom, so it's nice to do them justice... and if I'm being perfectly honest, Augustus is really compelling for me to do, and I don't usually work with characters like him, so he's also cool. Uh, not literally, obviously.

Q: Can Virgil control other people's shadows and use them against them?

A: Nope. Those are the only shadows that are beyond his control.

Q: What is a headcanon that you have with the universe of the Academy of S.I.D.E?

A: Well, they aren't headcanons, they're canon, because I AM GOD... but, well, I like to think that back in ancient times, Anomalies were more well-known and accepted---and then certain aspects came along and ruined everything. (Also, Jesus maybe being an Aberration is a very heated debate among Gen Z Anomalies.)

Q: What is some advice you have for beginner writers?

A: Honestly? Just keep at it. For better tips and dos and don'ts, I'd recommend Trope Talks on Overly Sarcastic Productions---they're massively useful. Also, Sanders Sides itself is pretty good if you're still struggling with writing characters, because all of the characters are personality traits themselves. Lemme just tell you, I used to suck at writing, but as I got better and learned more things, I managed to get to the point where I am today. (Also, no line of dialogue is too ridiculous if you're talking about teenagers.)

Q: How was it to manage both The Rogue Goddess and The Academy of S.I.D.E. at the same time?

A: Seeing as the former has not been updated in over a month---very, very hard.

Q: Did Patton need to study human anatomy to properly use his powers?

A: I mean, he does study human anatomy to get the terminology down, but it's not wholly necessary. The real kicker is practice.

Q: How would you rank the couples from the fic from your personal liking?

A: If we're talking canon, I'd say Dukeceit, Prinxiety, Logicality, and Remile, in that order (I love all of 'em, but Dukeceit is my OTP and it's SO GODDAMN UNDERRATED). But if we're also including Marji and Sophia, Sanjay and Jamie, Virgil's parents, Virgil's grandparents, yada yada yada... ask me later, please.