bogwitch

We never saw her parents. We know that her dad went to jail for tax evasion, and judging by that and by her wardrobe and attitude in high school, she grew up wealthy for the area.

We saw her in her bedroom once at the beginning of 3x09 "The Wish". I don't have time now, but if you can't find screencaps I can cap it later tonight.

As for writing her, it's going to depend a lot on era. I recommend checking out transcripts at http://www.buffyworld.com for her pattern of speaking. Lots of arrogance and pretension at first. Preoccupation with fashion and image. She changes a lot even before going to LA.

As for eps with lots of Cordelia... hmm.. I'm not a Cordy expert, but I'd read 1x11 ""Out of Mind, Out of Sight"", 2x02 "Some Assembly Required", 2x05 "Reptile Boy", and 3x05 "Homecoming". Cordy has a larger-than-average role in those eps.

I'm writing season 2 (I think, it may change to pre-series).

I'll look at those eps, thanks. No need to cap it, but thank you for the offer.

I think I can do her voice, but getting in her head is tricky. I have Harmony with her (I'm hoping that doesn't clash with the era), and writing her is no problem.

Harmony was supposed to be her best friend, so it should be fine.

Yeah, but they grew a bit distant during the Xander thing, didn't they?

Harmony used it as chance to make fun of Cordy some. It seemed like the only thing she had ever been able to do that with. Harmony was so rarely seen that it is hard to judge from watching those eps what their relationship was then, but later it is implied that they were always best friends and hung out together.

That's what I'm counting on.

Hm. I find writing early Cordelia a bit like channelling her. But putting into words how to do it, that's a lot harder. I think the key to Cordelia is that she chooses honesty over kindness every time. That first self-centered or unkind thought that we all have, that we push back down, she can't be bothered to self-edit. But she's not really as unkind and unaware as she seems, either; the sharp-tongued uberbitch is to a certain extent just self-protection, just establishing pack order, and she knows it. It also may be intended as a 'cruel to be kind' reality check for the recipient. Cordelia doesn't believe in looking at the world through rosy-colored glasses, but sometimes we get a glimpse that she wishes that she could.

The one thing I remember about Cordelia's family is that in S3 her dad lost everything because of income tax fraud. This gives me the impression that the social climbing and superficial, hard exterior were picked up from her parents' example. But as we see her relationship with the Scoobies developing, some tension kicks in between what she's always gone after - being Queen C - and what she really wants to be.

I'm not sure that's very clear, but I hope something in there helps a little. :)

Thanks, that does help a bit actually. I'm writing her (at the moment) as circa What's My Line? so I think there's a lot of duplicity going on.

I'd like you lot to know, I'm only writing her out of duty to the wider fanbase!

There's a featurette on Cordelia on the Angel Season 1 DVD where Charisma Carpenter discusses the character; basically, she enthuses on how the character is so direct and so honest. She's not afraid to tell it like it is.
My favourite moment of CC was when she freaked out about letting Angel in her car, after he'd turned into Angelus in S2, when there's the very real fear of Buffy and Willow letting him into their homes. Think her car is about the only Cordy-thing we see.
Good luck!

Thanks, I need all the luck I can get!

I'll see if I have that featurette (I have very strange Asian editions of ATS).

I don't think so. We may have seen the outside of her house but not the inside.

Either would do.

I *think* we saw a picture of Cordelia's parents in an Angel S4 episode before she regained her memories. For the life of me, I can't remember which episode it was - I just remember her looking at a bunch of photographs tacked to the wall and trying to jog her memory with them.

Not sure if that helps or not. Sorry!

Maybe. Thanks.

A crucial episode to get a handle on early Cordy is the Angel episode "Disharmony". Cordy and Harmony spend a long time talking about old times throughout the episode, especially the first half.

Thanks.

Yeah, I've seen that recently (when researching my 'bad sex' fic), it bears another watch though. I think my main worry is I'm going to have to make a lot up, and I want make sure I don't contradict canon.

I'm never touching the character again, I mean that.

It was bugging me, so I went through my Angel S4 DVDs tonight. The picture of Cordelia's parents is in Supersymmetry. Cordy is living with Connor and has tacked a bunch of pictures to the wall to try and jog her memory.

Her father looks tall and heavily built. He has short, dark hair that is greying slightly at the temples. Her mother is about shoulder-height to him, with blonde hair cut to shoulder length and with bangs.

btvsangel_canon is helpful for these sorts of questions.

Phew. That was making my brain itch.

Thanks, I'll give the ep a look certainly.

And thank for pointing me at that community, that will be exceedingly useful.