Kenzi Malikov

Player Information

Name: Brooke
Username: brooklyn2181
Current characters in ToS: Rose Hathaway
Reserve: Here

Canon Character Information

Name: Kenzi (Last name unknown)
PB: Ksenia Solo
Journal: morethanasidekick
Age: 23

Appearance: Standing at 5ft4, Kenzi is definitely on the short side, though her love of boots with killer heels raises her up to average height. Her hair may be black but her chameleon like behavior and a love of wigs has her appearance changing depending on her environment. When at home or just generally being herself, she tends to prefer borderline modern gothic apparel. Boots, jackets and leather or PVC not an uncommon part of her get up. Her skin is naturally pale but is accentuated with make-up, which she is rarely ever seen without. Her pale blue eyes have an ethereal quality to them and can appear almost violet in the right light and are always, always rimmed in heavy black eye make-up.

Kenzi carries herself with confidence, even in situations where she doesn't have the upper hand. She's the kind of person who at least appears to wear her emotions on her face though is far more skilled at concealing her more serious side, especially if she's upset. Kenzi also has a habit of clocking a persons weak points so she might lift their watch or wallet; Anyone who might share her criminal tendencies would probably notice this about her.

History: Wikia Link

Powers/Talents: Kenzi has basic skills in swordsmanship and the use of a crossbow (As shown in canon) but is by no means an expert.

She's a con-artist and a professional thief which makes her cool under pressure, a great liar and more than capable of lifting your wallet without even noticing.

Kenzi is fluent in Russian and is very good at hiding behind people during times of pant wetting terror. (The latter is totally a talent okay.)

Personality: If street-smarts were a marketable commodity, then Kenzi would be a millionaire, and if anyone could find a way to sell this, then it would be her. By the age of twenty-two, Kenzi has seen more of the world and it's harshest realities than most people twice her age. Despite her slight and less than intimidating physique, she has still managed to find a way to survive a life that saw her run away from home for the first time at the age of ten. She herself said that her mother told her to always make friends with the toughest kid in the playground, and though the truth of the origins of that belief may be questionable, it's still a fact that she did exactly that when she befriended Bo after the Succubus saved her from a man who tried to drug and rape her. She has a creative if not dubious way of getting by in life, morally able to justify stealing and running cons in order to get what she needs. She isn't opposed to using blackmail as a means of getting people to do things for her, her own family not immune to her threats, such as the time she threatened her cousin to get information that would help her save Bo.

Despite her penchant for all things criminal, Kenzi isn't a bad person, proving throughout her friendship with Bo that she is willing to sacrifice a great deal for those she loves. She ends her relationship with childhood crush Nate, both in an attempt to protect him from harm and out of a desire to remain by Bo's side in her time of great need. She risked her life in order to save Dyson and again to help Dyson get back that which the Norn took from him. She may well be seen as a tiny ineffectual human by most of the Fae world, but what Kenzi has is heart and that means that nobody should count her out, even when the odds are stacked against her.

Though there are still many unanswered questions about Kenzi's past, it is clear that she endured a difficult, even abusive childhood (at the hands of her Step-father), and though she tells Bo that it was never physical, it was still so terrible that she chose to live on the streets for a time rather than remain in the same house as this man. It is perhaps this difficult life that has led her to use humor and sarcasm (and even her appearance) as a shield against the world. She reveals very little of herself, even to those she is close to and it takes a lot to get Kenzi to open up. She prefers to keep her relationships superficial, but once you do gain her trust, you gain a friend for life.

Kenzi has the ability to adapt very easily to new and unusual situations, finding it almost too easy to slot into the Fae community, despite being seen as a lesser being. She has managed to earn the respect of those Fae that deal with her on a regular basis (Namely Bo, Trick, Dyson and Hale). She does however struggle with being treated like a second-class citizen, though Kenzi will be the first to stand up for herself when there are those who try to put her down.

She appears, on the surface, to have no sense of boundaries when it comes to the personal information of others. Kenzi considers Bo's sexual escapades her own form of entertainment and she almost seems to revel in broaching topics that most deem off-limits. But while she can be blunt about calling a situation as she sees it and likes to get her nose into the intimate details of other's lives, she is one of those rare people that you can trust with a secret, even when you don't ask her to keep it. She is wise enough to judge a situation and can keep her lips sealed if she thinks it serves a greater good to do so, as we see when she hides Dyson's change in circumstances after she visits the Norn and earlier in the series when she refuses to divulge Dyson's true feelings to Bo when they switched bodies.

Despite what can be described as her go get em attitude when it comes to dealing with the more unusual situations in her life, Kenzi is far too lazy for her own good. She doesn't clean unless she absolutely has to and her idea of gourmet cooking is reheating leftover pizza or making a grilled cheese sandwich. Her living area isn't exactly a pig sty, but it's hardly what you would call neat either. It will be decently decorated mind you, you just might not want to ask how she acquired said decor...

When it comes to communication, Kenzi has a very distinct way of speaking, mixing the occasional pop-culture reference with twisting the English language into words that though non existent, make sense in a way that leaves you unsure whether you are more or less intelligent for having spoken with her. She has a knack for being able to lessen a serious situation by using words that thought not intended to demean, make light of what is going on. She is charismatic and when she's mad at you, you definitely know it, not one to hide certain emotions away, even if it will make things awkward.

The only real exception to this rule could be Bo, Kenzi's best friend and partner in crime, or in crime investigation as the case may be. Though there have been times when Kenzi may have felt rejected or abandoned by Bo when she'd become caught up in the Fae World or her relationships, Kenzi will endeavour to keep those feelings to herself, choosing to work through it in silence most of the time rather than pushing it back onto her friend.

That being said, their friendship is as solid as anything Kenzi has known, both proving time and time again that there is next to nothing they wouldn't do for each other. Kenzi in her own way has brought some order to Bo's life, grounding her in a world that she has been running from since she was a teenager. In turn, Kenzi finally has somebody that is a solid influence on her, somebody who makes her feel like she has a real family and despite the danger she is in just by her close proximity to this woman, Kenzi wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Kenzi has been teaching Bo that no matter how dark things get, life can still be fun, often the one to impart her wisdom on how to deal with what life throws at you, even if her methods are less than savory (such as Kenzi's belief that the best way to get over a man is to get under a new one and that alcohol will fix everything. Or that taking anger out on a car with a crowbar is a healthy and productive form of therapy). Being from two completely different worlds, the friendship shouldn't make sense and yet when you see them together, it's hard to ever imagine them apart.

Her relationships with the other Fae aren't as deep as what she has with Bo, but Trick, Hale and Dyson are very much people that Kenzi considers friends. She and Trick have developed an interesting bond since first meeting, the two having helped each other in many ways that other Fae might find bewildering, given her status as a Human. Trick once gave up an artifact that he had said he would never part with in order to save Kenzi's life and she learned about the truth of his origins long before all but Dyson did. She respects Trick, almost like she might a real father but is also not afraid to call him out, something few people are willing to do, especially when they know who and what he really is.

Her friendship with Hale has never progressed to anything romantic despite some comments to suggest that it should as well as a confession from Hale at the end of Season Three. The two have forged a strong bond based on being the sidekicks to Bo and Dyson respectively. Both have been willing to help each other out in a jam and when Kenzi screws up, Hale is her go to man. She doesn't at this stage see him in a romantic light. Despite their differences (her being human and his being Fae) she sees Hale as her equal and appreciates the fact that he usually treats her as his equal also.

Finally we have Kenzi's relationship with Dyson, which though shaky at times, is still one of the more pivotal relationships in Kenzi's life. She finds his mere... maleness infuriating and though it's not entirely his fault, Kenzi does hold Dyson up to a higher standard than others, which means that when he lets her down in some way, he has a longer way to fall. She has proven that no matter what he does, she will be there for him in his time of need, risking her life on more than one occasion to have his back. She understands him better after having switched bodies with him and being able to feel just a ghost of his feelings was enough to help her see the man he keeps hidden from the world. The two have been slowly developing a bond that is almost impossible to put into words, but they both have a great respect for one another, something that has strengthened since the body switch. Of all the fae, Kenzi has the highest expectations for Dyson but on the flipside, is also more forgiving of his faults. Vex perhaps said it best when he points out to Kenzi; "Dyson's dropkicked Bo's heart ten times over and you still howl when he comes round."

If all that isn't enough, it's worth noting that Kenzi is fluent in Russian, a half decent drummer, the queen of the hula hoop, will lift your wallet or watch more out of habit than necessity and can hold more alcohol than any tiny person should ever be able to hold. She's appears very comfortable when it comes to being who she is, undeterred by the atypically pretty people of the world who might try and pass judgement on her (as we see when she goes undercover in a high school). She knows she's awesome and those who don't recognize, are a waste of her time.

Season three sees Kenzi go through a difficult times in terms of feeling useless and left out, something that has admittedly been building for some time but appears to escalate after their battle with The Garuda. She conceals the seriousness a rash on her arm both to protect the secret of Dyson's love being returned and out of a desire to not worry others. When Kenzi finally does try to approach her friends, she is ignored, dismissed or otherwise pushed aside. Despite this, when she finds herself kidnapped Kenzi never loses faith in her friends, believing all along that they will rescue her.

What is perhaps most significant about these events is not her unwavering faith despite seeming to be let down, but Kenzi's determination to stop being the weak link in the group, after her rescue. It doesn't matter to her whether others see her that way, she's only too aware that when it comes to a fight, she has only her wits and heart to bring to the table. Though it might be enough in the eyes of her companions, it's no longer enough for Kenzi.

Why would your character be chosen? Kenzi is a survivor, even having been told so by a luck fae who had the ability to 'taste' somebodies talents. She's not only a human who has managed to survive among the Fae but also got through living on the streets (on and off) from the time she was ten. She is also rare in that she's a human that became Fae (a Kitsune) for a brief time and is now Human again.

How much does your character know about nonhumans? A pretty considerable amount? Kenzi doesn't exactly have an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things non-human but since becoming a part of the Fae world she's learned a lot, especially from Trick. Her human status and the fact that despite being Fae, Bo knew little about other Fae until recently has seen Kenzi be 'research girl' whenever something comes up. Lost Girl tends to weave the various species of Fae out of assorted mythology so they have encountered everything from Kitsunes (Japanese Mythology) to Valkyries (Norse Mythology).

Why this character: I've been playing Kenzi for almost two years now so keeping her voice and my interest in playing her has never been a problem :D Aside from the fact that she's a lot of fun to play because of her ability to adapt to almost any situation and her humorous way of speaking as well as general social Skills (A term I use loosely with Kenzi), the main thing that drew me to her was that she has so many layers. Her backstory is far darker than you might expect from a person who seems to take almost nothing seriously. I have a leaning towards strong characters with buckets of issues but what I love about Kenzi is the way she handles it, the facade she puts up that is so strong it takes a lot of interaction with her to get to the core of who she is. Even in canon, Bo continues to be surprised by some of the things she admits to.

Samples

First-Person: First Network Post

Can anyone say, craziest detour ever?

[General panic is probably expected for the newly arrived. Kenzi's got this kidnapping thing down so she's going to skip the panic and jump straight to the important bits.]

So! First of all? Definitely keeping the jacket. The bag, eh, it could use some work but it doesn't totally suck and as for the boots? Have you people never heard of heels? Underwater does not mean, chunky, plastic flats. Pretty sure if this place springs a leak, puddle jumping is gonna be the least of our worries.

[What sounds like a clap then the rubbing together of hands momentarily interrupts her little speech.]

Now for the good stuff. Tristan. Scale on One to Phwoar? Anyone? Annnnnyone? [A beat.] Bueller?

Third-Person: Sample Two
Third Sample: Sample Three <-- It should be noted that in this Log, Kenzi has been able to fulfil her desire to become Fae again. I thought this was worth using because it covers her dealing with certain things from her past as well as why it is that she wants to become Fae.