This is a strange ask but I'm curious, the fandom most of the time paints Cass in a positive light in fics/Aus where everyone is fighting or arguing or having major conflicts, to me that's nice and healing because yeah Cass would know and understand things others wouldn't,
but I can't help but wonder what would tick her off and actually make her take sides or argue or fight? This is something I see in a lot of Bruce& Cass fanworks, and in the Batfamily in general, so I'm curious. What would break this pattern?
Good question! If I'm honest I dislike when fics exclude Cass from conflicts or use her solely as a mediator. It runs contrary to her canon portrayal, but more importantly excludes her from meaningful exploration of her inner turmoil. Ofc some fics can do this in a nuanced way that doesn't sideline Cass - but I am wary when everyone else gets to be in conflict except Cass, because then it seems like the writer is treating her essentially as a prop.
All that to say is Cass is just as prone to arguments as anyone else - in some cases more so! Her ego combined with her stubbornness (especially when she was younger) can be a lethal combination for getting into arguments. But here are some common threads I like to think about in Cass conflicts:
Loyalty to Bruce: as this post from @ashoss illustrates, Cass' loyalty to Bruce is often a point of contention between her and other Batfam members. Steph, Tim, Duke, and I think Jason would have problems with this. At the end of the day she has a deep & entrenched belief in Bruce & Batman, which clashes with other Batfam members who are more willing to point out Bruce's flaws.
Being perceived as stupid: I was talking to @getthembees about this but this is one of my fav Cass conflicts for fics to explore!!! Babs calling Cass stupid is the major canon example here, but being perceived as stupid by anyone is a major insecurity for Cass. It doesn't have to be someone calling her stupid, but Cass is not taking condescension from anyone lightly.
Moral philosophies: an obvious one but Cass' staunch anti-killing belief can come into conflict with others, even other members of the Batfam. Her ripping the bat symbol off Kate comes to mind, but her philosophical conflicts with Tai'Darshan and Steph in BG 2000 also have shades of this. She clashes with people who are not as 100% about killing being wrong, and often has trouble understanding them.
Loyalty to Steph: Cass' deep love for Steph means 9 times out of 10 she's siding with her. I mean her love for Steph is one of the few things that put her in conflict with Bruce. If Steph is fighting, say, Dick or Jason, Cass is definitely not siding with her brothers!!
Projection: one of the more interesting sources of potential conflict. As we see in BG 2000 #19 & 37, Cass can project her own issues onto others, even when the circumstances are completely different. This sometimes makes her unable to see how a thing that wouldn't benefit her would benefit someone else, and can cause her to give terrible advice or to come off as callous to others.
Having a bad day: this is not a real reason but Cass is going Through It a lot and ofc that leads to arguments! Throwing Dick out a window is one instance, and even her rudeness to Tenji is somewhat about her state of mind when meeting him. When Cass is stressed or grieving or upset, she is very prone to getting into conflicts (but this is true for most if not all people!).
One thing I'll say about her ability to 'read' emotions is that imo this makes her more likely to run into conflict, not less. Her ability isn't literal body reading which could lead to her jumping to incorrect conclusions. Even if she is correct, most people in the Batfam (and people in general) do not enjoy being read like an open book! I think this is partially what ticks Dick off in Batgirl (2008) (his inability to read her vs. him knowing she can read him).
One more thing is that Cass likes some of the Batfam a lot more than others. Bruce, Babs, and Steph are her top 3 for life so she can come into conflict with people who insult or hurt them (aforementioned throwing Dick out the window for breaking up with Babs).
Okay sorry for the long post but I hope that helped!! This is only my opinion ofc there are other interpretations that are equally valid. For me I loooove a good Cass conflict so much & I think more fics should lean into her messy dynamics!!!!!
