Remixing a Sex Scene

[deird_lj]

So – the remix.

Somehow I ended up writing an NC-17 Dawn/Xander fic. Which, given that I’m a mainly-gen writer who ships Dawn/Andrew, was rather weird.

Here’s how it happened.


My remixee this year was sevendeadlyfun, who I’m vaguely acquainted with from still_grrr.

Last year, I had five stories to choose from – mainly slash. This year, I had heaps of stories to choose from – mainly about vampires. It took me quite a while to go through all the possibilities, and figure out which one to remix.

I actually spent a few days trying to convince myself that I was utterly crazy and should be remixing this drabble. Which would have been fun... but also totally insane.

Eventually, though I came to my senses and checked out everything else instead. There were seven or eight that looked appealing – but, somehow, I kept coming back to Segue.


It intrigued me.


The basic story goes like this:
1) Dawn and Xander have sex for the first time.
2) There is premature ejaculation.
3) Dawn likes it.

And no matter how much I went off to look at the other stories again, and figure out how I could remix them, I kept on coming back to read Segue again – because my brain couldn’t figure out why Dawn liked it.

I mean, yeah, she said why she liked it, but...

Clearly, there was only one thing to be done. I had to rewrite the story from Dawn’s perspective.


My first idea involved report cards.

Dawn was going to do a mental report card, assessing Xander’s prowess in the sack, and giving him unexpectedly interesting marks for different things.

...yes, I have a very weird brain.

Then I had a bunch of other ideas involving Dawn mentally discussing sex in a uni-lecture sort of style, or Dawn comparing this sex to all the other times she’d had sex, or maybe writing it as a prequel with her planning out the evening, or...


Finally, I sighed, gave up, and went back to write copious notes on Dawn, Dawn’s mental state, Dawn’s personality, and what on earth she was thinking. WHY DID SHE LIKE XANDER FIRING OFF TOO EARLY???? It was baffling.

I ended up writing out random ideas (“she wants things perfect”, “she’s being an adult”, “she’s only sleeping with Xander because he’s there”) until I came up with this one:
“She’s trying to get his attention.”

It fit.


It fit very well, because Dawn’s explanation to Xander for why she was happy with the unexpected ejaculation was “I like that you want me.” What if she hadn’t been sure that he did?

And then I noticed that, in fact, their entire conversation started with Xander zoning out and Dawn saying “I’m still actually here.”

And I read it through, trying to look at it as if Dawn wasn’t sure of how Xander felt about her. What if she didn’t think he liked her that much? What if she thought he wasn’t interested? What if she thought she was mainly a Buffy-substitute, and he’d never like her the way he liked her sister? What if...?


I had a workable remix idea. Yay!


My whole fic centred around a Dawn who was trying to get attention. Mostly from Xander.

I had Xander getting distracted by watching Star Trek, distracted by Buffy, distracted by Africa... And Dawn, sitting right there, becoming increasingly frustrated by him not noticing her.

If she knew how much Xander liked her, then him getting distracted would make her irritated. Instead, I wanted her to get upset – which meant I needed her to think that Xander didn’t like her nearly as much as he did. So I wrote a situation where Dawn already ‘knew’ he didn’t like her that much, and had decided to go out with him anyway – even though she’d never have his full attention.

It took away the irritation, and put in a huge amount of longing.


Then came some small changes.

The original fic was set during season 8, with Buffy wishing they weren’t together, and the two of them having sex somewhere in Tibet while on the run from Twangel’s army of evolutiony doom.

I... erm... have issues with the comics. (No pun intended.)

Instead, I put them in Rome.

I also decided that Buffy was okay with the two of them being a couple: if not particularly happy about it, at least supportive enough to purposefully get home late and give them some alone time.


After that, it was easy. I just needed to enlist my housemate’s help in figuring out how to describe the positions they were in, my beta’s help in actually writing a whole paragraph (*huggles her*), and a long and involved discussion with three people about how Dawn would refer to Xander’s penis…


It’s been fun. And I hope you all enjoy reading the fic!

Comments

[snickfic]

Most interesting! I was just over at AO3, where I saw you wrote this and said, "What, Deird wrote this? No way." 'Cuz with the NC-17-ishness and all. (Also, I really seriously thought you'd written poi s'ascose nel fuoco che gli affina (The In a Dark Wood Remix), because of the Faith/Buffy and the interesting structural stuff.)

I'm just a little sorry, though, that you didn't write something for the insane drabble. That would have been fabulous.

It sounds like this was a much less painful remixing experience than last year. :)

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

I am so flattered you thought I was deird1! Haha.

[snickfic]

I totally did. You even had Buffy and tacky touristy kitsch, which is kind of a thing with Deird. I almost commented on the story with my guess, but then I thought the author might be offended if I was wrong. I guess that wasn't the case. :)

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

You even had Buffy and tacky touristy kitsch, which is kind of a thing with Deird.

I totally stole that from Deird. I was wondering why Buffy would like absinthe spoons and it just kind of flowed from there...

[snickfic]

Hah! See, it might as well have been intentional. (That'd be a really fun remix twist for next year - if a bunch of us intentionally tried to copy one another's styles.)

[deird1]

(Also, I really seriously thought you'd written poi s'ascose nel fuoco che gli affina (The In a Dark Wood Remix), because of the Faith/Buffy and the interesting structural stuff.)

Wow, really? Huh...


It sounds like this was a much less painful remixing experience than last year. :)

Oh, definitely. Although my housemate can testify to my still pulling my hair out over it.

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I think what you did was amazing. Really! I never hear about the remix thing until long after it's far too late to even consider participating. *sigh*


Gabrielle

[deird1]

You should join remixers_lounge! That's how I find out...

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I just did.


Gabrielle

[jnb71976.livejournal.com]

This is a cool idea and I like your thinky process.

[deird1]

Why thank you. :)

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

Ah, how fascinating! I might have liked to read that report card one, actually, but the actual one was too fabulous for words, so there we go. :D

Although, as snickfic sid, I would have been very interested to see what you could have come up with with that other drabble...

my beta’s help in actually writing a whole paragraph (*huggles her*)

I'm glad I could help! :)

[deird1]

I'm so glad you did! (My story kinda would have sucked if I'd posted it with a big chunk missing...)

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

Hee! Glad to be of service.

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

It's the remixed, come to peek into your process. For the record? I would totally kill to see the warnings drabble remixed. If only because there's so much there and so many random ways it could go, that I think any remix couldn't help but be awesome.

Thanks again for writing such a wonderful story. Remix isn't a giftathon, but it always feels like I got a gift anyways.

[deird1]

I'm glad! Even though it isn't a gift exchange, I always really hope that my remixee will like it...

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

Would you mind if I take a crack at it, just for fun? Not assuring you I will, since Lord knows my muse is too finicky for guarantees, but when I saw the drabble it did seem like it could just be the funnest thing to work with.

[sevendeadlyfun.livejournal.com]

Please do! Just link me when you're done, because I couldn't bear to miss out on the good times. :)

[lavastar.livejournal.com]

Oh, fabulous! I totally will.