Kendra the Vampire Slayer

[shadowscast]

Having just recently re-watched "What's My Line?" parts 1 and 2 ... I've been thinking about Kendra.

I think Kendra may seriously be the least popular re-occurring character in the whole Buffyverse. Not that I've ever met anyone who has a big hate on for her—it's just that most people (including me) don't think about her much at all. I've never seen a fic in which she occurred even as a minor character. I have to keep pinching myself to remember that there was another Slayer in the line between Buffy and Faith.

Okay, sure, she was only in a few episodes—but Ethan Rayne, for instance, appeared just as seldom and yet made a much bigger impression on us all. He sure shows up in fic.

Kendra was important. She was a frikkin' Vampire Slayer! Just like Buffy and Faith! And it's funny to watch how Buffy's conflicts with Faith are kind of foreshadowed with Kendra; as the ultimate by-the-book girl, Kendra is totally the opposite of Faith, and yet like Faith she fights with Buffy over Angel (okay, for a different reason) and raises the 'but I'm supposed to be the only one!' Slayer-envy issues.

I feel like the ME writers failed Kendra. She's interesting in theory, but they failed to make her interesting in practice. Her character comes out strangely cardboard. And where the hell is she supposed to be from?

So what I'm wondering now is, has anyone adopted Kendra and written fanfic about her and made it good, and made her into a real person I can care about?

Comments

Re: Me say daaay-oh!

[hammiepoo.livejournal.com]

What is it about Kendra that she's never inspired anybody to develop her in fic? And is it fixable?
I honestly don't know. But I think yes.

Wrote you a Kendra/Dru gen drabble. It doesn't entirely suck for off the cuff. :) Character death ahead:

"Be in me."

Drusilla sways to the humming, stunted light, crouched low in the colored girl's great pupils, so black with longing. This one would taste of bursting-ripe virtue, of spice and ocean. Of wet, unsullied thighs and cruelly suppressed vanity.

Spike is mistaken, though she will not tell him so. They do not wish for death. And Drusilla is kind in her cruelty, sometimes.

There is a string in Joyce's womb, where her daughter used to be. "You're not Buffy," she says, without letting go the girl.

'Now you know.' Bored, Drusilla finishes and claps her bonny hands.

Re: Me say daaay-oh!

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Eeee! ::loves you::

This one would taste of bursting-ripe virtue, of spice and ocean. Of wet, unsullied thighs and cruelly suppressed vanity.

That's so perfect. I especially like "cruelly suppressed vanity"—you've captured her contradictory impulses, made sense of them, and taught me more about what drives Kendra in this one line than ME ever managed.

I have to confess, though, I can't make sense of the Joyce bit. ::Is confused, wonders if it's just too early in the morning for metaphors.::

Re: Me say daaay-oh!

[hammiepoo.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked. :)

I have to confess, though, I can't make sense of the Joyce bit. ::Is confused, wonders if it's just too early in the morning for metaphors.::
Meh. I know. Written at 3am, I believe, so, yeah. Huh.

Kay, extended this into a double drabble. My patois is non-existent, though, so please bear with me...


"Be in me."

Drusilla sways to the humming, stunted light, crouched low in the colored girl's great pupils, so black with longing. This one would taste of bursting-ripe virtue, of spice and ocean. Of wet, unsullied thighs and cruelly suppressed vanity.

Spike is mistaken, though she will not tell him so. They do not wish for death. And Drusilla is kind in her cruelty, sometimes.

Kendra shakes her short plaits from side to side, hiding her Mama’s headwraps behind her back. “You a lie, girl,” her mother sighs, without vexation, and gathers her up. Kendra is stunned by the hug, when she was expecting the switch.
*************
The boy thump fast, selfishly. Kendra waits for him to be done, then she run through the yard to just that corner that the moon and Mama can’t see. Takes a rag, wipes at the cum still dripping down her leg.
************
She find that same boy in her yard, a week after he drown. She scream, and a girl jump over the fence, make him dust, and jump back out again.

Soon she meet a new boy, and forget about the whole thing.

'Now you know.' Bored, Drusilla finishes and claps her bonny hand.

Hee, can't believe I wrote The Accent!

Re: Me say daaay-oh!

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

::shiver:: Nice. And with the Accent and everything!

Though I'm going to be all difficult and point out that Kendra said she didn't remember her parents.

Re: Me say daaay-oh!

[hammiepoo.livejournal.com]

:) Yay, shivers!
Though I'm going to be all difficult and point out that Kendra said she didn't remember her parents.
Yes, so she 'wished' for a normal life. ;)

Re: Me say daaay-oh!

[hammiepoo.livejournal.com]

or alternately, I give up on this Kendra thing lol