character asks

[queenslayerbee]

I answered some questions I got on an ask game I posted here.

Cassandra Cain

• How I feel about this character. She's one of my favourite DC characters, and one I consider amongst the best yet tragically most underused in the franchise. Her original run was superb (even if it declined in quality overtime, its final arc and her character development remains better and shows more promise than most of what DC's done outside its flagship heroes.
• All the people I ship romantically with this character. So many women LMAO. I'm not kidding. Way too many. I have a WIP called "Five women Cassandra Cain slept with after breaking up with the love of her life" and containing myself or even picking just five was a struggle. Kate Kane, Barbara Gordon (in an unrequited love way tbf), Stephanie Brown, Rose Wilson, Diana, Onyx, Brenda Miller… Name me a female character I can see as at least a little bit queer and there's at least a 50/50 chance I can picture them together.
• My non-romantic OTP for this character. In canon, Barbara. In my own imagines where I can totally see them becoming best friends, Mia Dearden. Oh, and Tai'Darshan.
• My unpopular opinion about this character. Bruce is no better with her than with his other charges, and certainly no "girl dad." And I see Stephcass as doomed and incompatible, in the end.
• One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. In my wildest dreams, her corruption(-then-return) arc would've like. Actually good lmao.

 

Frodo

• How I feel about this character. I've only read LOTR once, a few years ago (in newsletter format, when Dracula Daily and its imitators were all the rage). I can't say I have in-depth thoughts about him (or about much about the saga), but I liked him, more than I expected. I once talked about seeing similarities between him and my first original protagonist, actually.
• All the people I ship romantically with this character. I don't strictly ship it myself (to me shipping requires actively seeking out the ship, fanworks, etc.), but it's easy to see why people like Frodo/Sam. Though if I were incline to shipping something with Frodo, I think Frodo/Gollum is where it's at lol. I love a good dark-mirror pairing.
• My non-romantic OTP for this character. Golum, for the same reason.
• My unpopular opinion about this character. Well, the LOTR fans I've met in person have all gone on about how Frodo isn't All That Great and Samwise is The REAL (Sole) Hero of LOTR, or a much better and character, and I disagree with that. Sam is admirable in many fronts, but I find Frodo very aspirational and, frankly, more interesting.
• One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. I can't think of anything. The one change I always want to do to LOTR is basically "hey what about putting more, and more relevant, women in here?", so I guess that's what I would've done with his companions lol. Or with Frodo himself. Bring in Frodelia.

 

Willow Rosenberg

• How I feel about this character. Willow is a character I sometimes saw myself reflected in a bit too much for my liking, in ways that maybe aren't obvious at first sight, which could be uncomfortable sometimes LOL. That said, with every rewatch I've done since I first watched the show, I've found myself loving her more and more. I'd consider her one of my top favourite characters in the entire 'verse. This could mean I'm winning the self-esteem war xD
• All the people I ship romantically with this character. Tara, Faith, Kennedy, Kendra, Buffy, Amy, Anya… I'd probably add more women to the list if I had the show more recent LOL.
• My non-romantic OTP for this character. Buffy. And although I'm saying this a bit begrudgingly because I do have my issues with the guy (though not as many/not the same as other people's), Xander LOL. Their scene in the season 6 finale always made me sob.
• My unpopular opinion about this character. I don't even know where to begin LOL. I feel Willow, like many others in this 'verse, is a very polarising character, so every opinion seems fair game. I think liking Killow/Wennedy (?) is relatively unpopular, though.
• One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. I have seen people say they wish the show had done more with her Jewish faith. On the one hand, I think it could've been interesting to explore something like that vis a vis paganism, but honestly she never felt all that observant to me and I don't know that I'd believe any ~crisis of faith stuff with her, on that front. But that could've been interesting too, showing her reject cultural and religious practices, etc.

Comments

[ravensilversea]

*gives Cass the highest honor you can bestow: Fandom's Femslash Bicycle* XD But I love that tbh, and I love how messy your Five Women Cassandra Cain slept with WIP sounds. It genuinely sounds like a lot of fun! Since she's your favorite DC character, do you have any recommendations on where to start reading her comics?

Also not me ready to throw hands with every LOTR fan who said that about Frodo 😤 The whole point of the story is that anybody, no matter how small, can make a difference and also that it takes more than just a single person to save the world (gesturing at the entire Fellowship and their actions here at a bare minimum). BUT I am pulling up a chair and taking notes on Frodo/Gollum because that is a spicy ship take, but you are so right about them being mirrors for each other so like I can see it

[queenslayerbee]

Her original run (Batgirl vol. 1, from 2000) is honestly a good place to start. She's introduced a bit before, during No Man's Land, but that's a long event and commitment, especially when a lot of appearances are minor. The only ones I'd deem necessary to read before Batgirl00 is her two-part introduction, "Mark of Cain" (Batman #567 and Detective Comics #734). You can always go back to the rest if you decide being a completitionist is your thing (I do not recommend that LOL. I attempted it with my #1 fave, Jason Todd, and last year I finally gave up because the new stuff is pure shit añsfj).

There are a few one-shots/mini-series from her early time as Batgirl. Ghost/Batgirl #1-4 is a weird crossover but an interesting read (it's aided me with some plotbunnies); I'd place it before Batgirl #10, date-wise. DC First: Batgirl/Joker (placed after Batgirl #27, more or less) or Batgirl: Secret Files and Origin (after #29) are two key one-shots for her too.

Batgirl 2000 intersects a lot with crossover events here and there (Bruce Wayne: Murderer?/Fugitive, War Games, etc.), so ymmv on how much to follow those (I do love Murderer/Fugitive. I loathe War Games xD). You might miss context but Cass's personal arc can be followed in her run alone, mostly. The only exception IMO is the Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood arc, where the order goes: Robin (Volume 2) #132, Batgirl #58, Robin (Volume 2) #133, Batgirl #59 (this is post-War Games, with Tim and Cass establishing themselves in Blüdhaven).

This page lists her appearances, though it's not complete or in perfect order, but it can also be a good reference.

Also not me ready to throw hands with every LOTR fan who said that about Frodo añslfkjaf. I'm not even particularly protective, I think the books do right by him. But whenever I hear the take that Samwise is the better character I'm like... okay so you just self-reported as boring and incapable of following a narrative. Thanks. No hate to Samwise, at all, I liked him! But it's just not true that he's the better character or hero, IMO.

I had literally never thought about Frodo/Gollum before typing that response but like. What else would I bother with? It's officially my favourite slash ship in Middle Earth now xDD

[charlottenewtons]

Willow is a character I've found myself enjoying the more I watch the show. I actually think that her being so polarizing is a strength of the show, even if I didn't always like the writing (hello magic addiction plot).

[queenslayerbee]

Yes! In general the show was good at making the characters grow past their initial, ~archetypal role (Willow, Cordelia, Giles) but I feel Willow is the one that best incarnates that aspect. Even when her writing wasn't perfect I felt that she had carved a space for herself, beyond merely playing a part in Buffy's story.