BtVS: "With Love and a Hippo" (Faith/Dawn)

[alixtii]

This is the "ficlet" I promised to write for r_becca. Somehow the "ficlet" ended up being 2,000 words.

Title: With Love and a Hippo
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Faith/Dawn
Rating: NC-17
Sumary: It's time for Dawn to leave for Europe.

Comments

[cdybedahl]

Very nice story. And...

Mary Magdalene was a Slayer and Jesus her Watcher

...write this. Please? Throw in Lilith as a really, really ancient vampire and you can have Mary/Lilith as Buffy/Angel :-)

[alixtii]

This is the second time I've made an allusion to the legend, so we'll see what I do with it.

I'm glad you liked the fic.

[don_t_hold_back]

Thirded that would make an awesome story.

[ricktboy]

I have to agree. That needs to be written.

Mary: The Vampire Slayer. Starring:

Jesus, as the watcher.

Cain, as Angel.

Lilith, as Dru.

[flyingcarpet]

I LOVE this -- thank you so much! It's a great mix of hot sex (and Faith "training" Dawn? very hot.) and a really nice relationship dynamic. I love the hippo analogy, too. *grins*

[alixtii]

I'm glad you liked it. This is the most explicit femslash I've ever written, so I was a little nervous about getting everything right. Having Dawn be trained by Faith was sort of my way of transferring that nervousness from me to her, of using what I did know as a strength, so I'm glad it worked.

Thank you! And you're welcome.

[x_spikeaholic_x]

Wow.. that was hot. I never thought I'd like Faith/Dawn.. but that was just... wow. :P

[alixtii]

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[cadence_k]

This is such a great mix of "guh" and characterization. What really hit me about this is how well you show that they are still young but really old for their age. The trip to the zoo, the first-time sex, and starting a new relationship just to end it are all common things for teenagers. And yet, Faith's insight into the hippos and her sense of duty are so grown up. The moment that Dawn gets why Faith likes hippos is really great as well.

Also, I adore hippos! :)

Great job!

[alixtii]

Well, Faith and Dawn are in an established relationship. (I think that I established that well enough in the fic that it isn't intentional fallacy-ish to say so here. I'm envisioning this as part of the Watcher!verse which would mean their first time would have been during "Dirty Girls.") But yes, Dawn especially is more young and teenagerish, not yet grown into the more capable Dawn we see post-Divine Interventions.

This is the first time I've written femslash this explicit, so I'm glad it worked on the "guh" level--I was scared to death of getting something wrong. Usually I rush through sex scenes, or else fade to black as soon as possible, but here I forced myself to take my time.

I actually decided that Fath liked hippos first and then worked out the reason. I really don't know where that came from, but it felt right so I ran with it and I'm glad I did.

I'm glad the fic worked for you!

[somercet]

Wow. This was sad. With hot bathroom sex. I love bathroom sex. Is there anything sadder than watching Faith dress, mind already out the door, after life-affirming, mind-blowing sex?

Hippos have to live up to a higher standard, Dawn realizes, than the rest of the zoo animals.

*sniff*

Hippos are truly huge, scary beasts, in the way warthogs and orcas are and sharks and snakes aren't. I remember seeing a video where a cheetah (leopard? been a while) tried to grab a piglet in a full speed slash attack: three grown hogs wheeled, broke off from the pack and kicked that cheetah's ass. It had a broken tail and severe blood loss by the time they were done with it.

[alixtii]

Is there anything sadder than watching Faith dress, mind already out the door, after life-affirming, mind-blowing sex?

I hadn't thought about it that way, but you are right; that dynamic is totally there.

Hippos are truly huge, scary beasts, in the way warthogs and orcas are and sharks and snakes aren't.

I'm glad that element of the story worked for you.

Thanks for the feedback!