So I've been suffering a bit of block the past couple of days, and trying to explain the situation to someone who hasn't really kept up with the ins and outs of the first book is like trying to teach a fish how to fly, so my partner is no help.
Or so I thought. Turns out, he offered me a suggestion -- a really simple one, as a matter of fact, which is why I'm disgusted I didn't think of it myself lol -- and it was just enough to get the creative juices flowing again.