From: Send me an Oz ship and I'll tell you...
Requested by: @paige-b-when-1
What do I think of the ship? - Personally I love them, one of my top favorite Oz ships.
For Oz media, I appreciate that this ship, particularly as a wlw ship has managed to be around for awhile. Even though it takes a lot of digging you can even find it in some older Oz media, and it's slowly showing in more and more that are newer.
Fandom wise, I've been a lesbian in the fandom for awhile so I know in even the more LGBTQA+ spaces of fandoms, wlw are usually undermined some, and while this always tells me just to make more content for that ship, even though this one does suffer some from that I do appreciate seeing them being one of the more popular ships in, this side of the fandom at least.
I appreciate the fandom is open to exploring their relationship in every way from a pure, kid crush, to a deeper romantic relationship with them as adults.
For the more negative side, some people get weirdly offended by ships with these characters.
To which I say: 1. I love Oz, but yeah, I don't really give a damn about preserving that racist colonizer's world. Me wanting to indulge in more 14 based Oz media, even wishing there was more of it, is my preference. As you'll see in my Dark Oz media liking, I don't care too much if it's butchered (though personally I don't really like it when it's just clear a company is trying to take advantage of it's popularity with no love at all towards it). You'll find I've done a lot to Oz in my personal versions of it with my own work. But this is getting off topic and for another lengthy post.
2. In the plays, they're older, and Dorothy actually has a love interest, Sir Dashemoff Daily, Ozma sings a song about a past love interest.
So, yeah. I don't think it's an issue if they're either younger and it's a pure kid crush or exploring their relationship as a deeper romantic one with them as adults. (As long as it's done age appropriate to whatever ages they're in, obviously).
Do I think the ship could work? - I'm going to answer this in two ways and also kinda answering the next question with it.
In Baum's canon, so no theories, no additional canon or headcannons (aside from assuming the theory of their romantic interest is true) - Yes but I don't think it'd go too much farther then what is shown.
In my head they're about 12 when in the books. (In the idea that Dorothy was around 8 or 10 in the first book, then came back later and in later books when Baum's contradictions are getting worse he describes Ozma as about 15/16 and older then Dorothy...then again contradicts himself by saying she seems around Dorothy's age. So they're around 12-ish in my head).
For a continuation of book canon with nothing being added I think their crush remains, and they, stay together in that level. Always being close and each other's closest and most trusted. Maybe becoming aware of it and they can go to dances together and just, stay together. But then again in the books they're also kissing every chance they get so, maybe they already are.
For Oz media exploring more - And I'll go into this in dynamics, but in Oz media where they age and grow to adults. I do think it can work, because I see it as, their relationship would just progress from friendship to crush to a deep romantic relationship (I know I keep saying that but what I mean by that is a strong romantic relationship that can last that also has a strong friendship in it, as good lasting romantic relationships should).
Do I think they can make it in the long run? - Yes, answered this in the above question.
2-3 Headcannons for the ship? (Whatever the above thoughts are) -
Dorothy isn't big on the overall idea of getting dressed up for royal events, she only really does that for Ozma. The flip side of this is, as time goes on Dorothy will drag Ozma outside to play/have fun in the outdoors.
Ozma constantly tries to spoil Dorothy, who, appreciates the efforts but is still used to feeling like a farm girl rather then a princess.
Snuggles, lots of snuggles. Particularly after a journey or Ozma spending a great deal of time tending to her duties, they'll spend hours in Ozma's rooms telling each other about their day/adventure. Eventually leading to sleepover so they can continue talking into the night and ending up falling alseep on each other.
I really like to explore the idea mentioned in the books Dorothy is really who Ozma feels comfortable being herself with. So Dorothy is really of the very few who knows Ozma fully.
Additional since the last one didn't give a lot of details: The only actual way Dorothy has managed to send letters out of Oz is because of her relationship with Ozma, and Ozma's lack of ability to really say no to Dorothy if she thinks what she wants is mostly harmless.
How do I/Would I veiw the ship dynamic for them? - The type of relationship that starts from a deep and strong friendship that will eventually also bloom into a romantic one as well.
Also I kinda mentioned this in this post before, but in my Dorzma mind: We have our lovely fem trans Ozma with Dorothy, her farm girl gf.
At least one scenario for the ship. -
Cue me spending hours going over all my different stories to decide on just one or two to put in what I knew would already be a lengthy post. I also have way too many AU rambles that are either drafts or planned posts.
The thing about me making stories for this ship, being one of my favorites I've done everything from exploring them in Dark Oz type royal/fantasy dramas stories to cute and fluffy without experiencing much issues.
One idea I have is when we're doing that whole, they're older and Ozma is being given pressure to marry a royal, and she feels duty bound to do so even though by this point she had realized she secretly has feelings for Dorothy. A lot of your, regular royal soap opera drama, to not go on a full on ramble how this ends is pretty much it is realized Oz can make their own candidate for Ozma, and Dorothy, being both a princess and a hero of Oz is put up for it. (Though honestly she hadn't cared about all the technicalities). ~ This one is a little bit of a romantic drama and then fluffy one.
Another idea, in that other Oz media trope where Dorothy eventually leaves/forgets Oz, grows up and somehow ends up in a more modern world. (Or at least some years later from when she left) while all her past friends try to find her again, Ozma is one of the main people looking for Dorothy. And goes through some of the most pain when Dorothy returns without memory of her.
I think with this trope could be a good way too, as they go back and forth from the real world and Oz, let them explore their relationship on their own without their either royal or heroic ties. Also, introduce (or reintroduce for Ozma) each other to their world.
As Dorothy slowly regains her memory, and of course deal with whatever the threat to the overall plot is. Of course this will have a happy ending with them together. Maybe with each having a home in their own world, and Ozma makes regular visits to Dorothy.
Do I personally ship it? - Absolutely, it is of my two favorite ships in this entire fandom (with Scraps x Scarecrow) and one of my current favorite ships overall.