#ask jade!

[jade-zzz]

HOW TO WRITE : Jason Todd

(jade's notes)

First and foremost, there are a million different versions of canon in DC, and DC itself doesn't even follow half of them consistently. Continuity is constantly being rewritten, retconned, and contradicted. Because of that, I have always believed people shouldn't worry too much about being "too canon."

As asked for by ANON, these are a collection of my personal notes and interpretations of Jason Todd, from his time as Robin to his life as Red Hood. While these opinions are based on material from the comics, they are still my own interpretations, so take them with a pinch of salt.

Jason's entire existence serves as a contradiction to Batman and everything Batman stands for. In many ways, Jason challenges Bruce's worldview, his morality, and the consequences of the choices he makes. Jason first appeared in 1983 as Batman's new Robin. In 1988, less than ten years after his introduction, he was killed off following the reader poll. His next major canonical appearance would not come until 2005, when he returned as Red Hood.

Bruce Wayne experiences immense trauma after the murder of his parents. He becomes an orphan, is raised by Alfred, and eventually dedicates his life to becoming Batman. One of the defining aspects of his character is his refusal to kill. In many interpretations, Bruce avoids crossing that line because he fears he would not be able to stop once he started. Jason is the opposite. He experiences extreme trauma, dies, and returns consumed by anger and bitterness. Rather than viewing criminals as the sole enemy, he begins to question Bruce himself. In many ways, Jason represents a side of Bruce that Bruce has always been tempted by but is terrified to embrace.

Bruce chooses not to kill, and that's his right. However, Jason forces the question of what consequences come from that choice. If the Joker repeatedly escapes Arkham and continues murdering innocent people, does Batman share responsibility for those deaths by continually refusing to permanently stop him? Jason's argument is not simply that killing is right—it is that refusing to kill also has consequences.

Of course, from a meta perspective, Batman's no-kill rule is one of the foundations of the character. DC makes a lot of money from that status quo, and Batman is arguably the face of the entire company. When Jason starts questioning the morality of Bruce's methods, he's questioning one of DC's most profitable pillars. That doesn't mean Jason is automatically correct. His actions have consequences too. When Batman refuses to kill, people suffer. When Jason kills, people suffer. The point is that neither philosophy exists without consequences.

HIS RUN AS ROBIN :

One of the reasons I enjoy Jason's Robin run so much is because it acts as a criticism of Bruce Wayne himself.

Jason was a poor kid who grew up on Gotham's streets. His mother struggled with addiction and died in front of him. His experiences taught him that the system would not protect him and that he could only rely on himself. Yet after Bruce adopts him, Bruce rarely seems to consider how different Jason's life experiences were from his own. Instead, Bruce often focuses on Jason's rebelliousness and perceived need for discipline. There is very little class consciousness in how Bruce approaches him. Bruce is still a billionaire living on the outskirts of Gotham. Jason was raised by Gotham itself.

Throughout Jason's Robin run, criminals are frequently arrested only to be released or escape and continue hurting people. Naturally, this frustrates Jason. He increasingly pushes against Bruce's rules because those rules seem ineffective against the suffering he has witnessed. Bruce often attempts to shape Jason into the kind of Robin he wants rather than accepting who Jason already is. Jason is highly intelligent, fiercely independent, and shaped by circumstances radically different from Dick Grayson's. Yet there are times when Bruce appears to view those traits as problems that need correcting rather than strengths.

And honestly, I think part of Bruce's attachment to Jason comes from missing Dick. Jason also wasn't truly ready to be Robin. He lacked experience and relied heavily on Batman's guidance because he desperately wanted approval, from Bruce, from Dick, and from the Teen Titans.

Eventually, his growing frustration with injustice reaches a breaking point. After witnessing Gloria, a rape victim, take her own life while her rapist escapes justice, Jason snaps and pushes the man from a balcony. What interests me about this scene is Bruce's response. What makes the moment tragic is not simply Jason's actions but Bruce's response. Rather than recognizing how personal the situation may have been for Jason, who likely grew up around people in circumstances similar to Gloria's, Bruce interprets the incident through the lens of Jason's unresolved grief over his parents. Once again, Bruce misses the deeper issue.

Jason feels rejected. He is benched as Robin. Soon afterward, he leaves to search for his biological mother.

Personally, I think Jason's Robin run often portrays Bruce as an out-of-touch billionaire—which, in many respects, he is. I also believe Jason's original run was influenced by broader political attitudes of the era, particularly the demonization of the lower class during the Reagan years. Whether intentional or not, it's fascinating that a Robin many readers could directly relate to, a poor kid from Gotham's streets, was killed off, only for his eventual replacement to be a wealthy kid from a privileged background.

No criticism toward Tim Drake, of course. I love Tim. I simply find the contrast interesting.

'THE ANGRY ROBIN' :

I dislike the tendency to reduce Jason to "the angry Robin." During much of his Robin run, Jason was actually a good kid. If anyone had a stronger claim to being the angry Robin, it would arguably be Dick. Jason was generally obedient to Batman, partly because he lacked confidence in his own abilities and relied heavily on Bruce's approval.

Jason's greatest "crime" was caring deeply about people the system had failed and becoming unwilling to accept explanations that left victims without justice. This is the same kid who once described being Robin as magic. Jason was also incredibly intelligent. His detective skills are often overlooked, but he managed to track down his biological mother entirely on his own while searching for a genuine connection.

Most importantly, he was just a child.

One of my favourite quotes comes from Red Hood and the Outlaws #14, where Jason reflects on his childhood fears:

"One, something happening to my mother. We know how that turned out. Two, an empty bread basket. Yeah, food issues. Three? Superman. Seriously, he could drop-kick the moon out of orbit if he woke up on a bad day. Tell me that's not scary."

LAZARUS PIT RAGE :

One thing I've always found interesting is how Cassandra Cain was also resurrected through the Lazarus Pit, yet discussions of "Pit Madness" rarely follow her character. Jason's anger, meanwhile, is often immediately attributed to insanity rather than acknowledged as a legitimate emotional response to what happened to him. There's something uncomfortable about reducing Jason's very real pain and resentment toward Batman into a supernatural side effect. Bruce trained him to be a soldier as a child. Bruce brought him into a war he never needed to fight. Jason has genuine reasons to be angry. Calling all of that "Pit Madness" feels like an easy way to dismiss those 'irrational' feelings rather than engage with them.

HATING BRUCE :

The fundamental traits Jason possessed as Robin continue into adulthood far more than many people realize. However, after being brutally tortured and murdered by the Joker, whatever remained of Jason's childhood innocence is destroyed. The Joker doesn't just shatter Jason's body, he destroys his trust, his worldview, and his belief that Batman's love for him was unconditional.

A common misconception is that Jason hates Bruce. He doesn't. Jason feels betrayed by Bruce, rejected by Bruce, and abandoned by Bruce. Those emotions come from love, not hatred. He is not jealous of the other Robins, nor does he want his old role back. In fact, Jason explicitly states that he does not want the Robin mantle again. There are moments where he begins to say, "Bruce would never..." before cutting himself off, revealing his lingering belief that Bruce would never truly accept him. It's not hatred. In many ways, that rejection exists precisely because Jason still loves Bruce.

APPROACH TO CRIME :

Red Hood's approach to crime is fundamentally different from Batman's.

Batman believes in redemption and non-lethal justice. Jason believes some criminals are too dangerous to be allowed to continue operating. Despite his violent methods, Jason's motivations still come from a desire to protect innocent people. He genuinely believes he can save Gotham in ways Batman cannot. While he often acts as a loner, he has found community through groups like the Outlaws and through temporary alliances with members of the Bat-Family.

His relationships throughout the Bat-Family are equally complicated. Dick often acts as a mediator between Bruce and Jason. Barbara's relationship with Jason is strained due to the trauma surrounding his death and resurrection, though moments of mutual understanding do exist. His relationship with Damian is particularly interesting. The two frequently clash, but there's also an underlying sense of camaraderie due to their shared experiences with the League of Assassins.

One of my favourite unintentionally hilarious comic moments involves Ra's al Ghul essentially explaining that he hired the Joker as a distraction for Batman, only for the Joker to accidentally go too far and kill Jason. Ra's then resurrects Jason through the Lazarus Pit to make amends, loses track of him entirely, and later discovers Jason is running around Gotham terrorizing Batman.

The entire conversation basically amounts to:

"Sorry about that. I'll stop interfering."

It's absurdly funny.

A small detail from my notes: Jason is particularly fond of French literature. Just in case you feel Jane Austen is ever overused.

PERSONALITY :

He also talks constantly. It's not necessarily arrogance—it is often a distraction technique. Jason uses humour, banter, and random conversations to keep people off-balance and maintain the illusion that he has everything under control. However, when confronted with something genuinely painful or personal, that facade tends to collapse into anger, grief, or vulnerability. He is dramatic by nature. Whether through words or actions, Jason often makes a point in the most theatrical way possible.

Despite killing, he still has a code. The people most likely to receive lethal force are child abusers, sexual predators, and individuals who threaten or kill those he loves. Some fans argue Jason should kill more often, but stories that depict him doing so are frequently unpopular. Personally, I think lethal force works best when reserved for the most extreme circumstances. Jason can empathize with criminals because he grew up among them. His father was a henchman. His mother struggled with addiction. Jason himself has crossed moral lines. He does not see himself as inherently superior to the people he fights. What he cannot tolerate are powerful crime lords who exploit others for wealth, status, or control.

Jason is incredibly driven. Under the right circumstances, he can be almost as determined as Bruce himself. At the same time, there are situations he simply does not care about whatsoever. Understanding what motivates him is essential to writing him well.

IDENTITY :

Jason is Red Hood, and Red Hood is Jason.

Unlike Bruce Wayne and Batman, or Clark Kent and Superman, Jason does not really maintain a separate civilian identity. Red Hood isn't a mask he puts on, it is simply another name for himself. Because of this, Jason often struggles with superhero culture and the performative aspects of secret identities.

In Red Hood and the Outlaws, Starfire describes Jason as one of the first people she's known simply as a friend. The same applies to Roy Harper. Their relationships aren't built around superhero identities—they're built around being people. The same is true for Artemis and Bizarro. Their friendships are rooted in personal connections rather than crime-fighting. Meanwhile, Jason struggles with Bruce because he rarely feels like he's speaking to Bruce Wayne. Whenever Jason reaches out, it often feels like Batman is the one responding. What Jason frequently needs isn't Batman. He needs a father.

BACK TO PERSONALITY

Some writers, even official ones, have a strange tendency to portray Jason as unintelligent or less skilled than the rest of the Bat-Family. I strongly disagree with that portrayal. Jason is an exceptional fighter, strategist, detective, and tactician. He has gone toe-to-toe with members of the Bat-Family and held his own repeatedly. He has fought highly trained opponents and emerged victorious.

Don't be afraid to make Jason competent. At the same time, avoid turning him into a flawless character. Jason is at his best when he is highly capable but still deeply flawed.

Finally, Jason is often a jerk. It is a defense mechanism.

He deliberately pushes people away, provokes them, and creates situations where they are likely to disappoint him. In many ways, he sets people up to fail because it hurts less than genuinely trusting them and being let down. Jason gives people opportunities to prove they won't stay. That way, if they leave, he can tell himself he expected it all along.

[the-benevolent-beast]

Winged Eyeliner!

Winged Eyeliner: Do you wear Makeup?

“But no, I don’t.” She rose a thick brow questioningly, “Why would I?”“Besides! Do you know how messy that would be? Putting makeup on fur? White fur no less- it’d fade and smudge and with how much I just kinda rub my face and eyes- I don’t think it’d be a good idea anyway. Not in this form, not illusioned; no way, no how.” She shrugged; “Too messy and too.. uh.. time consuming. Don’t have the time or desire for that.” She scoffed with a small grin, ears flicking once.“Leave the makeup deal for Jane and Penny (and the like), why don’t you.” She waved her claws slightly, dismissively, still smirking a little.

[jade-zzz]

Your Dottore fic Misery and Company was phenomenal! I love how it’s so in character. Although I truly felt sad for reader because man, what a terrible and cold (literally) situation with no current outcome.

For a concept, I was wondering how things would play out in a sagau or imposter scenario with Godttore in such a setting. Would having trilunar authority make him hyper aware of the creator since the powers would be primordial and predate elemental ones? Thus being… “closer” to the origin of the world in a sense?

Part of this is just me rambling about sagau since there’s so many concepts to roll around with when it comes to recent lore. Regardless, thanks for your writings!

Hello, Anon!

Thank you so much for your kind words. It genuinely means a lot to hear that 'Misery and Company' was so well received. For anyone who's reading this who is unaware Anon is referring to [THIS] fic of mine.

As for the reader's situation, I'm afraid they've found themselves facing what can only be described as the lesser of two evils. Neither path offers freedom in any meaningful sense, only different forms of confinement. When you consider Dottore's own relationship with immortality (particularly through his segments) alongside the reader's presumed immortality as well, it paints a rather grim picture. Perhaps this isn't a choice they're making for a handful of years or even a lifetime, but one they may be forced to live with indefinitely.

This is also the point where I sheepishly admit that I haven't actually played Genshin Impact since Fontaine. Unfortunately, the game's ever-growing size eventually surpassed the small amount of storage space I could spare for it. I still try to keep up with the broader story and major developments from a distance, but my knowledge is definitely secondhand these days. So if any details sound a little off or don't align perfectly with the current lore, I hope you'll bear with me.

Personally, when I think about Dottore ascending to true godhood through the trilunar authority, there are several narrative possibilities that immediately come to mind. One of my favourites is actually completely unrelated to 'Misery and Company' and instead leans heavily into the self-aware elements that are so prevalent within SAGAU settings. Specifically, I find myself drawn to the idea that the Creator has not yet descended into Teyvat at all—or perhaps an imposter has descended in their place.

In a scenario like that, Dottore's position becomes uniquely interesting because he is one of the few characters I can imagine possessing both the means and the willingness to perceive the truth. If he were granted access to a primordial authority, one that predates the current order of Teyvat and reaches beyond the limitations imposed by Celestia and the false sky, then perhaps he would be capable of glimpsing fragments of a reality that was never meant to be seen. I'm imagining it occurring during the very moment he tears apart the false sky itself. Rather than seeing what he expected, he instead witnesses the world unraveling at its seams for only a split moment. The sky splits open into streams of disappearing code, deleted assets, and incomprehensible numerical sequences. For a fleeting instant, before the world corrects itself, he catches sight of something beyond Teyvat entirely.

Perhaps it is only a reflection upon a screen, the outline of hands manipulating a world from afar through a controller, and perhaps it is nothing more than the vague impression of an observer existing beyond the boundaries of existence itself.

What makes this concept so compelling to me is that I do not believe Dottore would react the same way most SAGAU characters traditionally do. In many interpretations of the genre, the discovery of an imposter occupying the Creator's position is met with outrage and betrayal, the overwhelming desire to see justice restored. The false ruler is condemned and the characters become fiercely devoted to correcting the deception. Dottore, however, has never been a man guided by faith, nor has he ever placed much value on concepts such as divine legitimacy. I cannot imagine him demanding justice on behalf of a Creator he has never met, nor can I see him becoming enraged simply because someone else occupies their throne.

Instead, I think his response would be rooted in curiosity. If the real Creator truly exists, and if they are capable of observing events from beyond the confines of Teyvat, then why have they done nothing? If an imposter sits upon their throne and claims their authority, yet remains unchallenged, then what does that imply? Is the deception unknown to them, or is it permitted? More importantly, if they possess the power to intervene and simply choose not to, then perhaps the imposter was never a mistake in the first place, could they be part of the design? Perhaps everything that has transpired was allowed to happen because it serves some greater purpose invisible to those trapped within the experiment.

And that is where I think Dottore's perspective would begin to shift in a way that very few other characters could understand. Standing in the position of a god himself, wielding authority over forces that shape reality, he may begin to recognize uncomfortable similarities between his own actions and those of the distant Creator. Throughout his life, Dottore has observed people, manipulated circumstances, and conducted countless experiments in pursuit of knowledge. Entire lives have become variables within larger equations, entire nations have served as environments in which theories could be tested. If the Creator exists beyond the world and watches Teyvat from afar, then are they truly so different?

From that perspective, the world itself begins to resemble a laboratory. The people of Teyvat become subjects, history becomes a controlled sequence of observations, and the Creator ceases to be an object of worship and instead becomes something far more intriguing: a fellow researcher operating on a scale beyond comprehension.

Reverence requires faith, and Dottore has never been a man of faith. If anything, I think the Creator would serve as an inspiration rather than an object of worship. The mere knowledge that such a being exists would validate everything he has spent his life pursuing. They would represent proof that there is a state of existence beyond mortality, beyond divinity, and beyond the laws that govern the world he inhabits. Rather than looking upon the Creator and seeing someone to kneel before, Dottore would look upon them and see the culmination of his ambitions.

In the context of 'Misery and Company', however, I think the scenario changes quite significantly because Dottore is no longer dealing with the abstract concept of a Creator hidden somewhere beyond the world. He already knows you. He has formed an impression of you long before reaching any sort of godhood, and that familiarity fundamentally alters the way he interprets both divinity and his own ambitions.

After all, Dottore recognizes something of himself in you. He sees someone who was abandoned by the very people who should have cherished them, cast aside and condemned despite possessing value beyond what others were willing to acknowledge. It is a wound he understands intimately because it is one he has carried his entire life. The details may differ, but the underlying experience remains the same. Because of this, I think his perception of you eventually evolves beyond anything as simple as reverence or devotion.

Instead, you become his counterpart, his equal. The relationship begins to occupy a strange space where traditional distinctions no longer seem adequate. Creator and scholar, the observer and observed, subject and researcher. The boundaries separating those roles gradually dissolve until neither of you can fully claim one position or the other. You influence him just as much as he studies you. He dissects your nature while simultaneously exposing his own. The experiment ceases to have a clear beginning or end because both participants are constantly changing under the other's influence.

Ironically, I do not think this makes him any less selfish. If anything, it makes him even more. While Dottore's pursuit of divinity is undoubtedly self-serving, there is one exception he consistently makes, and that exception is you. In his mind, the divinity he strives toward belongs to both of you because he no longer sees the distinction between where he ends and where you begin. Over time, you become integrated into his self-concept to such a degree that your existence feels inseparable from his own. The ascension he seeks is not merely personal achievement; it is the culmination of something the two of you have built together.

That is why I find the idea of him possessing the trilunar authority particularly compelling in this context. Unlike the elemental authorities, which emerged later as part of Teyvat's current order, the lunar authority feels older, stranger, and closer to the world's primordial origins. By claiming it, Dottore is not simply becoming more powerful. Symbolically, he is moving closer to the source itself.

In a way, it becomes another attempt to shorten the distance between you. And it's not because he views you as something unattainable, but because he views you as something fundamentally connected to himself. Every step he takes toward the origin of the world is another step toward understanding you, and every revelation about your nature becomes another revelation about his own. The pursuit of divinity and the pursuit of understanding the Creator become inseparable goals.

What fascinates me most, however, is how this interpretation reframes his eventual death.

When considering Dottore's fate, I cannot help but wonder whether his final experiment would mirror the one imagined with Pantalone. If a person can be understood completely, can they be recreated? If every memory, every conversation, every habit, every flaw, and every contradiction is preserved within the mind of another, is death truly permanent?

The thought feels like something Dottore would inevitably explore. And perhaps, after his death, you become the vessel through which final hypothesis is tested. A version assembled from every observation you ever made of him, every argument, every moment of understanding, every irritation, every rare glimpse behind the masks he spent his life wearing.

The irony of such an ending is almost beautiful in its own twisted way. Dottore spent his entire life fragmenting himself into countless versions, each one representing only a portion of who he was and ending up to be entirely their own people in a way. Yet a recreation born solely from your memories might be the first version assembled into a complete whole. In that sense, the version of himself recreated through your memories might become the one thing he spent his entire life searching for—the person he always wanted to be, reflected back to him by the only individual he ever considered his equal.

I think I've probably rambled far longer than I originally intended, but you're absolutely right, SAGAU is one of those concepts that feels almost impossible to stop talking about once you start exploring it.

Thank you so much for your ask!

[jade-zzz]

jade i love how u write damian hes so cutesy i just wanna pinch his cheeks

Hello Anon!

Thank you for the kind words! I have to admit, Damian is my all-time favourite Robin, so there is definitely some favouritism towards him in 'Intermezzo' (which I'm assuming is what you're referring to—unless you mean the grown-up yandere Damian fic where he kills your boyfriend. In that case, while I wouldn't personally describe it as cute, to each their own, I suppose).

Whenever I see Damian discussed, particularly during his Robin era, I think people sometimes forget that he's just a kid. A very cute kid, admittedly, but still a kid carrying an enormous amount of responsibility on his shoulders.

He's been raised in circumstances no child should have to endure, and then dropped into a completely different family dynamic where he's trying to figure out who he wants to be against who everyone else wants him to be. For all his arrogance and sharpness, there's something very endearing about watching him learn how to be a child and how to let people care about him.

He deserves the world.

Thank you for the ask!

[jade-zzz]

WOWOWOOW love the new headcanons post ! was very curious on your take on cassandra its a lot different but i really liked it!! kudos to you op

Hello Anon!

Thank you for your kind words!

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how Cassandra is portrayed in other Tumblr fanfictions. When I write her, I mostly try to stay as true to her character as possible. I've only read a handful of her comics, so I wouldn't call myself an expert, but if I had to describe my interpretation of Cassandra, it would be something like this:

Cassandra is the type of person who wears her heart on her sleeve. Despite how some people perceive her, she isn't cold or uncaring. Because she spent most of her life isolated, she can sometimes come across as blunt, awkward, or even rude, but beneath that she's incredibly compassionate and caring. Her sense of humour can be unconventional, but it's always good-natured. She enjoys teasing the people she cares about and throwing out the occasional bit of snark. She may have poor table manners, and she's definitely picked up Bruce's habit of appearing and disappearing without warning, but she always means well. Because of her past, Cassandra carries a tremendous amount of guilt. Any death that happens on her watch weighs heavily on her conscience, even when there was nothing she could have done to prevent it. She holds herself to impossibly high standards and often takes responsibility for things that aren't truly her fault.

It's also well established that Cassandra struggles with language, both spoken and written. People often simplify this by saying she can't read or write, but it's more accurate to say that body language is the form of communication she understands best because it's what she grew up relying on. Early in her character arc, she tends to speak in short, halting phrases, often using single-word responses or repeating words back as she processes them. That doesn't mean she's mute, though. As she spends more time with the Batfamily and becomes more comfortable around others, she gradually begins speaking in full sentences. In fact, Cassandra can be quite talkative around people she trusts. She may still come across as blunt, but she's also one of the most genuinely kind-hearted characters in DC, in my opinion at least.

Of course, that's just my interpretation of her character.

Thank you for sending in an ask!

[jade-zzz]

hello jade!!! love your writing and intermezzo,, i was wondering how you write the batfam so accurately while also keeping a lot of depth to them? i dont know if that makes sense but they all are their own people and the writing really makes them seem real meanwhile it also feels really accurate to their characters in canon as well.

Hello, and thank you for the ask, Anon!

When it comes to writing them close to canon, there are definitely a few liberties I take. The first is, of course, that they're yandere now. I do try to keep them as close to their canon personalities as possible (except Jason—to be honest, the vast majority of his comic runs have been complete disasters. I'm convinced the writers hate him). The way I approach it is by taking their existing traits and amplifying them.

For example, with Jason, his insecurities surrounding his death and his relationship with Bruce become much more pronounced. It's not really about being replaced, it never was; it's about the fear that Bruce doesn't actually want him back after everything that happened and wont accept him. In Arkham Knight, Jason is so angry and so consumed by his own distorted version of events that he genuinely believes Bruce doesn't know what's best for Gotham anymore.

So his character goes from:

Slightly Insecure → very insecure in a relationship about his worth Protective → overprotective, convinced nobody else can keep you safe

It's a little easier with characters like Tim, who already have a history of stalking people and exhibiting some genuinely strange behaviour. There isn't nearly as much that needs to be changed.

If you're trying to make them feel canon, I'd absolutely recommend reading as many comics as you can get your hands on. I think I own almost every Damian comic that's available, which I'm sure shows in my writing for him. There's definitely a bit of favouritism there.

That being said, I'd also caution against focusing too much on making them perfectly identical to their comic counterparts. There are countless comic runs out there, and every run has a different writer bringing their own interpretation of a character and their story. There are even some Bruce-centred comics that I personally struggle to think of as Bruce at all, but that's ultimately that writer's prerogative when approaching the character.

Because of that, comics are a great foundation, but they're not a definitive solution. There isn't one singular, objectively correct version of these characters. What we think of as "canon" is often just a collection of different interpretations layered on top of one another over decades.

At the end of the day, this is your own take on the character. As long as you understand who they are at their core and why they behave the way they do, don't be afraid to change a few things to suit the story you want to tell. Some of the most memorable interpretations come from writers who were willing to put their own spin on a character rather than simply copying what came before.

When I write, I want my dialogue and characters to feel like real people first and foremost. I draw heavily from conversations I've had in real life because it helps the interactions feel natural. It's also why I don't use American slang. I'm not American, and while Gotham is technically in America, I tend to leave that alone. It's a bit like reading a Harry Potter fanfiction where you can immediately tell the author isn't from the UK.

Every character is a person with their own goals, values, flaws, growth, and internal thoughts. Exploring those things naturally in your writing makes it much easier for readers to understand who a character is without having to spell everything out for them.

My biggest piece of advice, though, is to have fun with it. Writing is a skill that develops with practice, and at the end of the day, as long as you're enjoying the story you're telling, that's what matters most.

Thank you so much for the ask, and I hope you continue enjoying Intermezzo!

[jade-zzz]

INTERMEZZO UGHH so good, i need more...

Hello! Thank you for the ask. Oh my days I love this. They're all so accurate and the second meme with Tim, Jason, Reader, & Damian is incredibly true to the past few chapters. As for the last one, who knows what or where reader was? One must assume they were simply living their best life... hopefully.

[jade-zzz]

oh my god that cannibalism fic was horrifying. i did not expect myself to enjoy it as much as i did 😭😭 literally could not get it out of my head

Hello Anon!

Haha, seeing everyone's reactions to the cannibalism Tim fic has genuinely been great. I'm so glad it came across well and that you enjoyed it!

Truth be told, a few years ago I went to see Shakespeare's 'Titus Andronicus' at the Globe. In the play, Titus bakes Tamora's sons into a pie, tricks her into eating it, then reveals what she's consumed shortly before killing her. After that revelation, Tamora has no more lines, so the production made a really interesting choice: they had her continue eating the pie desperately, almost as if she were trying to save her sons and keep them safe by returning them to the safety of her womb. Cannibalism has opportunities for such rich metaphors, it really opened my eyes to the genre.

That image honestly stuck with me for years, so when I wrote the fic I ended up taking my own turn on the premise.

I'm a big Shakespeare advocate, so I'd recommend his plays regardless, but 'Titus Andronicus' is definitely worth reading or seeing if you enjoyed the fic! Alas, there is no Tim Drake in it.

Thank you for the ask!