#toshatterolympus

The Bats didn't realize there was a new player in town for months. Along with dealing with Damian, they were also swamped handling the sudden, incomprehensible murder of the Joker. 

The clown had been found dead in his cell in Arkham, throat slit without any sign of struggle or hesitation. No trace evidence was left at the scene or on the body. There was no footage on the cameras and no evidence that they had been tampered with. It was the mystery of the century.

Made even more so by the bloody assassination of Roman Sionis in his office a month later. No one had heard a sound and not a single one of his men or guards had been touched. This had seemed more personal. Only a note was left at the scene. A single sentence, typed on generic paper, printed in generic ink and font. 

NO MORE DEAD ROBINS.

Bruce had everyone close ranks as they investigated. Stephanie was only freshly returned to them. He wasn’t risking another one of his colony. No matter how protective the intention seemed to be behind that particular gesture. 

It could just as easily be obsessive.

They struggled to handle the two major murder investigations on top of their normal caseload. Especially as GCPD didn’t seem all that concerned about getting to the bottom of either of them. 

When consulted, Commissioner Gordon just shrugged.

“If you can’t find anything, what makes you think we can do better?” He lit a cigarette. “Frankly, most of the city would rather give the person who offed the Joker a medal rather than put them in prison.”

News that Crime Alley, the Bowery, and the Narrows had all been quietly claimed as the territory of a new up and coming player understandably didn’t filter up to them until she was firmly established.  By then, it was just a matter of scrambling to gather intel and evidence. Who the hell was this woman?

The occupants of the alleys were calling her Red Hood.

Red Hood protected her name and face like it was a state secret. She would help them with cases, be backup when asked, and follow Batman’s rules but refused to come to the Cave unless it was a life or death matter. She was fiercely protective of Robin, joked freely and easily with the other women, and deferred to Alfred like he spoke gospel on the rare occasion they interacted. 

C: What character do you identify with most?

So, I’m gonna be awful and actually say Hermione Granger. I know, I’m (mostly) a Batfam blog. But to be honest, it’s definitely Hermione for me. I was always the outcast, the perfectionist, the reader etc. I even had the hair. I just didn’t have the two best friends. I didn’t grow out of the know-it-all thing until I was an adult… Or did? -looks around at her desk in the law school library- Maybe I just learned to hide it better.

E: If you wrote a sequel to If I Told You, what would it be about?

While not a direct sequel, there is actually a companion work coming out for this called Ils M’ont Dit that’s going to showcase a few conversations that happened before and during If I Told You. This story is going to expand on Jason’s background with the League, specifically Talia, and what Bond Broken is. 

If I were to write an actual sequel, though, it would probably be some family feels and fluff. Maybe a dash of pregnant Jason because Damian needs a baby sister. Talia would probably make an appearance because in IITY she’s a bit of a possessive jealous bitch.

F: Care to share a favorite hurt/comfort fic?

I have to pick just one?!

In all honesty, I know this is a little odd, but it’s probably Take Your Finger Off the Trigger by Skalidra. 

Not your traditional H/C fic by any means but I just really fucking love how Bruce and Dick are completely willing to listen to Jason once they have him back and the work they do to make him comfortable. It’s just - idk. I love it. 

I’m not just saying this because she tagged me earlier but I fucking LOVE

You’re Alone ‘til You’re Not Alone and We’ve Got These Chains by WorkingChemistry (and pretty much everything she writes)

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

I’m not going to answer this… Mainly because it’s actually in the works right now and being co-written with another lovely author. We’re not anywhere near the point I feel like we can tease or let anything slip but let me tell you, it is some serious Dead Dove. It scares Garpie64. 

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)

I’ve never heard those terms before this. Bit of both? The way my ideas come to me is in scenes. You know what, I explained this to someone like yesterday. I’m gonna some copying real quick.

I get a scene in my head and world build around it. For example:

I got the scene from Vertigo first with Dick grabbing a Jason who was still male at this point and doing the whole “why do you smell like —-?!” bit etc and then some of the stuff that followed with the “how dare you act like we’re pack” stuff 

and needed a mate that I knew would send Dick and Bruce into a tizzy but could and would go toe-to-toe with Bruce without batting an eye

I think I’d just read a couple of Scandal’s stories, too, so Slade popped into my head and then I’m like “what would up the angst factor?” “OH! Let’s make Jay female!”

then I’m like, “well, how did that happen in the first place?!” and that’s how Suspending Gravity happened

But for longer stories, like To Shatter Olympus and Carry Me Home that are still in the works, I get tend to get several scenes. For Olympus, it actually started with a scene near the end and I was like… well how did we get there? So I had to figure that out. 

But in general terms, its a series of scenes that I tend to know how they’re going to go, some more fluid than others, and then I weave it all together. The weaving though? Man who the fuck knows how that’s gonna turn out. I have ideas; ways I want things to go. Sometimes they happen. Sometimes I send my drafts to all my friends and go I THINK I FUCKED UP! 

(-coughCarryMeHomecough-)

Absolutely. And gods willing I’ll be updating BLP over winter break and that’s definitely Good Dad Bruce. ❤ Sorry for the pain.

Kind of.