Make no mistake about the title of this Challenge page, it is not meant to be humorous. True freedom begins in the mind. So do this site a favour and free your mind to write the unthinkable. Non-white characters in the Buffyverse. The Buffyverse includes any characters who have appeared on BtVS or AtS. Unless specified, the fics need not be canonical in any way. This means you can have a world with Jossverse interpretations of vampires, but a completely different world otherwise. Or you can have many regular characters, true to their original typecasting ([snicker] what JW and ME like to call "character development"[/snicker])and a world without the supernatural. The choice is yours. These challenges will always include non-white characters, but this does not mean (unless specified) that the fic must feature non-white characters exclusively. Also important : "of colour" does not mean African descent specifically, simply non-white.
Rosewood -
Your challenge in this case is to write a fanfiction about the shortlived vampire Trick and equally shortlived Slayer Kendra. I always thought this pair would be nice together, but it need not be limited to a romantic relationship.
Chocolate Caramel Cake -
Lol.. it's four in the morning, don't expect thoughtful eloquent challenge names. Very simple challenge, two or more Buffyverse characters. Believe it or not, I am a fan of Gred, a relationship which has worked where Gordy implications in season 2 failed. Fred knows what it is to be marginalized and enslaved. She may have her own prejudices, as most of us do subconsciously, but she has a department of awareness that most white or unmarginalized people lack (until it happens to them). Furthermore, in being stripped of every privilege during her stay in Pylea, Fred gained a strong ability to see beyond the psychology that will plague the marginalized but privileged (i.e. someone who is deaf, someone who is obese and discriminated against in some aspects of life but generally accepted above the 'dregs' of society and most marginalized, like the institutionalized and homeless or drug addicted, etc...).
Anyhow, where was I? Oh, yes. I like them, I thought Olivia was cute (if not her relationship to Giles lol), but it would be nice to see characters of colour interacting together and falling in love together.
A Boy Grows Up -
I am so tired of black characters having these stupid standoffs with white protagonists where they get all their apprehension about working with someone white out of the way. I feel this is a way for white writers to make themselves ever so comfortable - after all, as long as non-white or other marginalized characters display ample prejudice, they won't feel so alone. Gunn's character, I'm looking at you. Thus, this challenge is based on a non-white character who has been marginalized or used as a 'happy slave'/'Jar-Jar Binx' 'character', such as Gunn or Lorne, to grow up. Examples may include Gunn rejoining his gang in order to continue the fight and there being actual problem resolution within said gang, rather than pointless contrived conflict. Lorne might decide that the time has come to stop loafing and playing Mammy to Angel's 'Scarlet' and go back to Pylea, to effect social change. Be creative, be very creative.
For now, these are all the challenges I can think of. If you have a specific challenge request, please let me know. If I like it, I will post it to my site and create a corresponding award...which brings me to my last award, before I go:
KMS Challenge - Any fanfiction not mentioned in the above categories, which significantly focuses on a non-white character in the general fanfiction medium (read :not BtVS or AtS specific) with a storyline or general prose which I find to be exceptional will be given the KMS Challenge Award.
Happy writing! (award samples should be up soon)