Vhesthine worriedly lets Dawn out of her car once they've parked on Buffy's driveway. Razial didn't get back before she had to close up, and now she's here. As Dawn runs into the house, she follows at a more sedate pace, and closes the door behind her.
Following the calls of "Tara!" she finds herself in a kitchen, where Dawn has just sat down next to Tara.
Dawn sits down next to Tara, "Hey Tara, what are you working on?"
Tara turns to look at Dawn and freezes for a second, "Dawn?"
Dawn nods, "Uh huh. Master Razial didn't get back in time, so I'm stuck like this till tomorrow. I like this disguise, but I am so hungry."
"Didn't you have a couple of sandwiches in case Buffy couldn't get you dinner?"
Dawn nods, "I did, but they tasted horrible."
Vhesthine coughs, "Sorry to intrude."
Tara spins round in her chair, and looks the short Chinese woman up and down, "Who are you?"
Unfortunately, Dawn sniffs once, and then hugs Tara from behind, "Hey Tara, you smell yummy."
Tara freezes, and Vhesthine snaps, "Dawn, let Tara go. I know you're hungry, but we need to wait for Buffy to get back before we address that."
"Aww, but she smells so nice, like chocolate raspberry ripple sundae."
"Dawn!"
Reluctantly, Dawn lets go of Tara, who finally relaxes and steps away from the table to face Dawn, "Who are you?"
Vhesthine sighs, "I'm Vhesthine, we've met a few times at Mikes Machining."
Tara's eyes widen, "You're Vhesthine?"
Vhesthine nods, "I am, and Dawn is acting like a young succubus." She quietly adds, "Fortunately, she's still not old enough to go hunting, otherwise she'd be out there trying to feed."
Tara looks from Dawn to Vhesthine, "Sorry, I didn't catch that last bit."
"Don't worry about it, it wasn't important. Do you mind if I sit down?"
Tara sighs, and looks at the kitchen table, "Sure, help yourself."
Vhesthine takes a seat, "Well, this isn't how I envisaged spending a Friday evening."
Tara looks at Dawn, who's currently sulking at the end of the table, while muttering to Emo, "Quite frankly, neither did I. Although I have a feeling that I should have done."
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Dawn pulls out her phone and starts to play snake. Tara looks at Vhesthine, "Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
Vhesthine, asks, "Do you have any fragrant teas?"
"Sorry, no, we're coffee drinkers here."
Vhesthine sighs, "Shame."
Tara tries to go back to her university work, but the rumble of Dawn's stomach draws her attention. Especially when Dawn grabs her favourite snack from the fridge, takes one bite and makes a face before spitting it out into the bin, "Eugh, that was disgusting."
Tara's eyes widen comically, "Dawn, that was a Maple Bar Doughnut, you're as bad about those as Xander is about Twinkies."
Morosely, Dawn sits back down at the table, "Tell me about it. The only thing that smells appetising is you."
"Ah, Vhesthine, is there anything else she can eat?"
Vhesthine leans over, and deadpan whispers, "Men."
Tara blanches, "Buffy! Hurry up and get home! So, um, what do you normally do at the weekends?"
Vhesthine smiles, and licks her lips, "Hunt."
Another uncomfortable silence is broken when Spike opens the yard door just after 11, "Hello, has anyone seen Buffy?"
Vhesthine sniffs once, "Ohh, you get delivery here. Tara will you be ok looking after Dawn for half an hour?"
Spike looks first at Dawn, and then at the short Chinese woman who is sauntering towards him with a hypnotic sway to her hips. Then he gulps and backs out of the door, followed by Vhesthine. As the door closes, Dawn gets up to follow.
Tara stands up, "Dawn, why don't we go watch a movie until Buffy gets back?"
Dawn looks at the door longingly, "Aww, but I wanted to watch."
Tara shakes her head, "No Dawn, you really didn't. Do you want to catch up on Stargate, or something by Disney?"
Dawn looks at Tara, "How about 'But I'm a cheerleader', you always seemed to like it when it was on."
Nearly 40 minutes later, Vhesthine comes back in with a satisfied smile on her face. There she finds Dawn sitting next to Tara with her nose in the corner of Tara's neck and shoulder. Seeing space on the other side, Vhesthine sits down next to Tara.
"Mmm, that was delicious. So much pent up lust and obsession. I haven't eaten that deeply in decades."
Tara squeaks, "You haven't? Is Spike ok?"
"Mmm? Oh yes, I'm not a youngling. Catch and release, and you can catch them again."
It's just gone midnight when Buffy walks through the front door and hangs her bag over the banisters. When she walks into the living room, she finds Tara sitting stock still while the closing credits of a movie are playing. Sitting on either side of her are two Succubi asleep on her shoulders. Pausing for a moment, she turns around and grabs a digital camera from the drawers in the dining area.
Tara yelps as the flash of a camera goes off, and Vhesthine moans, "Comfy"
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The next morning, Buffy wakes up feeling more relaxed and rested than she can ever remember. That feeling quickly turns into panic when she tries to move, and realises that there's something holding her down.
Void jumping off the bed, she turns around… and stops as she sees a succubus starting to stir.
Vhesthine looks up from where she was sleeping, "Buffy, come back to bed, it's too early."
Buffy looks at her, "When, how?"
Vhesthine looks at her owlishly, "Last night, obviously. Because you have a good delivery service, and I needed somewhere to sleep obviously. Now, come back to bed, it was nice, like sleeping with my sisters again."
Buffy backs out of the room, and flees into the yard, where she starts to meditate until Dawn joins her. That's when she gets her second surprise of the morning, Dawn's human.
"Hey Buffy, I guess the disguise wore off during the night."
Buffy nods absently, "Um."
"Buffy, are you alright?"
Buffy shakes her head slightly, "I don't know. Have you had something to eat?"
Dawn shakes her head, "No, I'm not hungry at the moment."
Buffy nods as her feeling of things being off continue to mount.
At the end of their session, they walk in to find Vhesthine nursing a mug of coffee at the kitchen table.
Now more awake, Buffy asks, "What happened last night, as I thought we left you on the sofa?"
Vhesthine takes a long sniff of her coffee, "Mmm, you did. But Dawn's hunger woke me up. As I had a good meal, I fed her, and she settled down. Then I found you, and there was plenty of space in your bed, so I joined you."
Buffy looks between Dawn and Vhesthine, "Dawn, sit down, as I think we need to know a bit more about succubus society, starting with the obvious question, 'Can you love?'"
Vhesthine scoffs, "Of course we can, we're a social demon after all. We don't really love males, as that would be like loving the cow or pig that was slaughtered for your dinner."
Buffy sags with relief, "Thank the founders for that. What about gender, is Dawn still a girl?"
Vhesthine shakes her head, "We're just succubae. If you had to equate us to human genders, I suppose that courtesan succubae could be analogous to females. But that's because they're more likely to carry our young."
"What about incubus?"
Vhesthine scowls, "What about those raping bastards?"
Buffy looks concerned, "What, do they force themselves on you?"
Vhesthine, shakes her head, "No, they feed on us." She sighs, "You need to understand that what humans call sex is just a method of feeding for us. But between Succubus and Incubus species, feeding someone else is an expression of love and affection. However, feeding from someone else…" Vhesthine shudders.
Buffy looks down and swallows hard, "So, when I offered to f-feed you tonight, I was…"
Vhesthine nods, "You were, and I'm looking forward to it greatly."
Buffy looks around the room, suddenly lightheaded, "Um, wow, erm. No offence, but this is something of a surprise, as I've never considered anyone like that."
Dawn asks, "What about Angel?"
Buffy shudders, "Nope, too stalkerish, same with Spike. Dawn, when I say I've never considered anyone like that, I mean I've had my libido turned off since the Zariman. And I've never met anyone that even made me consider turning it back on to see. So, this is, um."
"Coming out of left field?" Vhesthine suggests. Buffy just nods, so Vhesthine continues, "I probably shouldn't have fed you like that. You just seemed so accepting of me, that… Don't worry about dinner tonight, I'll find my own food."
Buffy shakes her head, "No! Stay, I said I'd feed you. I'm still going to do it, but, um, this is all new to me."
Dawn starts to laugh, "Oh god. Buffy, you've never dated have you."
Buffy shakes her head in confusion, "No, what's that?"
"You're my older sister, but I know more than you about dating, boys and girls. Has anyone ever spoken to you about the birds and the bees?"
Buffy starts to blush, "Dawn!... I wish I had my implants."
Dawn pats her hand, "Don't worry Buffy, I'll give you The Talk later."
Buffy stands up, "Right, I'm going to look up recipies for tonight on the computer."
Dawn and Vhesthine laugh as she leaves, before Vhesthine looks at Dawn seriously, "Dawn, I know this seems fun at the moment. But I think you should avoid asking for this 'disguise' or to be a 'succubus' for a while. Razial's species hatch from eggs, and they don't have a concept of family. So, one day he may just decide that you actually want to be a succubus, and not change you back. If you express an interest in learning how to use the magic needed to make that transformation, he may consent to teach you. But you'd need to show that you are powerful enough to cast the spell in the first place. Do you understand?"
Dawn nods, but Vhesthine grabs her hand, "Dawn, I don't think you really do. We are not human, and we never have been. Are there any boys, or girls, you've fancied at school? You'll lose interest in them. Do you have any favourite foods? You'll never be able to enjoy it again. Instead, you'll be able to smell the emotions of humans, and lust will make you salivate. Especially if it's directed at you. When you're first learning to hunt, you will kill humans, and you won't care because you'll be full and they tasted delicious."
Dawn snatches her hand away, "Vhesthine, you're scaring me."
Vhesthine nods, "Good, you should be scared. Being a demon, any demon, is far more than just a change in skin. They come with their own desires and instincts. I remember the mayor, and what he changed into. Razial knew what he was becoming, indeed he sold him some of the books needed. But for us, the Mayor would have eaten a few dozen people, and then gone to sleep for a few hundred years. Yes he was a powerful demon, but he had no understanding of the instincts and mentality of that type of demon. Same as you don't about being a succubus." Softly she adds, "Same as Buffy doesn't about being a human."
Dawn looks alarmed, "What do you mean? Buffy's human, isn't she?"
Vhesthine tips her hand back and forth, "She is now. But the way she talks and reacts, she wasn't before. Human's can't just turn off their reactions, or parts of their emotions. You can smell her surprise when either of those things happen, as if she wasn't expecting it. Like just now, when you were needling her about the birds and the bees. The emotion caught her off guard."
"But Buffy's been really cool, she's…"
Vhesthine nods, "I know, and that's who she is."
Their conversation cuts off as a sleepy Tara wanders into the kitchen.
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Willow fingers the sheet of paper she worked on last night as she waits for someone to open the door. In her bag, Amy is scrabbling around in a cardboard box with a couple of holes cut into it.
Eventually, the door clicks unlocked, and opens with no one there. Thinking back to a few events in her past, Willow cautiously goes through the door and up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Razial is waiting for her.
"Apprentice, we will be working in my workshop, as there are things I need to do."
Willow swallows hard, "Master, I um, I-I know how to turn my friend Amy back into a human. Would you be able to supervise me while I do? I've written out my plan."
Razial holds out his hand, and then reads Willow's notes before tearing off most of the sheet and handing back the shortest part, "This is the only part of your plan that is workable. You may do that part now."
Willow takes the paper back and blanches as only two lines are left. "Revelate!" As a sheet of papyrus appears on the reception counter, Razial picks it up and transports them both to his workshop.
Once they appear, he leads her over to a desk beside a bookcase, "Apprentice, study the spell. You may use the books on this shelf," He points at one of the shelves, "to aid your study. Once you believe you understand the spell and what it does. Write down your new plan and bring it to me."
As he turns away, Willow turns to face him, "M-Master, why are you being so nice today?"
Razial turns back, "Because you are not wasting my time with complaints about fairness or superiority of your own knowledge. Now I have work todo, as Buffy has presented the most interesting conundrum."
Willow stares after him for a few seconds, before turning to the desk to investigate what's available. In a drawer, there is a selection of dip pens, from quills, to fountain pens, and exquisitely designed glass devices. In a long drawer in the front of the desk is a tray of fine sand, behind which are sheets of parchment in different colours. Opening the drawers at the back of the desk, she finds an ink well, and a few jars of different coloured inks.
Looking through her bag, she realises that she's left all of her pens back at the Dorm. As she emptied it on the bed to ensure there was space for Amy. Picking the most recognisably pen like of the implements in the drawer, Willow first copies out the spell at the top. Then she writes out a translation of the spell, and looks at it for a while. Not seeing anything wrong with the spell, she writes down, 'cast spell on subject', before walking over to Razial.
"M-Master, I'm done."
Razial doesn't show any indication that he's heard, as he keeps on writing out some equations in a language Willow doesn't recognise. Just as she's about to try again, Razial puts his pen down and turns to her, "You need to learn more patience apprentice. When you are doing your own research you will learn the value of a train of thought. Now, let me see." Razial glances over the page, "Hmm, an adequate translation, though lacking nuance. However, you have failed to consider anything beyond casting the spell. Do not bring this to me again before you have some considerations listed out."
Half an hour later, Willow's still staring at the parchment trying to work out what the demon could be talking about. Surely it's just a matter of turning Amy back into a human. Rubbing her cheek where Razial hit her, Willow decides against taking the parchment back, instead, she falls back on what's worked for her before, and starts looking through the books on the shelf.
The growl of her stomach pulls Willow out of her perusal of the shelf, and back to her task, and she quickly looks down at her notes. None of which have to do with helping Amy. Though, she has a slightly different translation, that has a lot of uncertainty in the English version, as terms she thought were clear cut have multiple meanings that could apply with that wording. Throwing her pen on the table in frustration, she walks over to Razial.
As she gets there, she blurts out, "I don't get it, what have I missed?"
As the words leave her mouth she shrinks back, expecting to be hit. Instead Razial looks up calmly, "What circumstances did the subject change under? What state is the subject likely to be in when you undo the change?"
Willow staggers back, poleaxed, all thoughts of her hunger gone as the spectre of who she was before she started doing so much magic rears it's head and berates her for forgetting about the person. Tears spotting her eyes, she makes her way back to the desk to start writing out everything she remembers of that event. By the time she's finished, she has three pieces of parchment describing the events of the evening, and another paragraph of possible things that could be wrong afterwards.
Taking her new notes back to Razial, she respectfully waits for him to notice her, as her thoughts continue to spin around such an obvious revelation, and the fact that a soulless demon was the one to make the observation.
Eventually Razial puts his pen down to look at her, "Yes apprentice?"
Willow holds out her work, "I believe I have covered everything master."
Razial glances over the pages, "A better translation, though still missing an important subtlety. You have also focused too much on irrelevant details. The only important information there is that the subject was panicking, and potentially on fire. Because of that, you missed the most relevant consideration for the spell. The subject may still be panicking or injured when the transformation ends. To that end, the solution is to ensure they are unconscious. I presume you already know a spell to render a subject unconscious."
Numbly, Willow nods, as her revelation takes a heavy blow at the dispassionate way Razial ignored all of the human elements of Willow's considerations.
Impatiently, Razial says, "Well, what are you waiting for, get the rat and implement your plan."
"Yes Master." Willow scurries off to get Amy, and stares in dismay at the inside of her bag, before picking up the rat and placing it in the centre of the room.
A muttered 'Somnus' indicates the start of Willow's spell, and Amy slumps on the floor asleep. Then she reads the spell from her notes as magic swirls around her and Amy. As she watches, the rat turns back into a naked human, with no visible injuries.
Razial nods and muses, "Well executed, you certainly have a good level of skill with using magic. At least I don't have to teach you any of the basics on that front. We will deposit the subject in your dorm before having you perform the spell twice more."
As Razial reaches out for her arm, Willow hurriedly asks, "May I take my notes Master?"
Razial looks at her impatiently, "You have magic, use it."
Willow's eyes widen, and she holds out her hand to her notes and bag, which pack themselves before flying into her grasp. Razial nods, "Good, remember, you are preparing crystals on Monday."
Willow nods, "I found some cleansing rituals in your books Master."
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While Tara, Dawn, and Vhesthine are sitting at the table, Buffy sheepishly places a large salad bowl full of rice in the centre of the table, "Sorry, the internet said that 1 cup of rice is a portion, and well, there's 4 of us. So…" Turning back to the stove, she quickly pours the last three dishes she's cooked this afternoon into dessert bowls, before putting them onto the table. Followed by another 6 bowls, that are covered by foil, from the oven. "Um, I wasn't sure what would appeal to you and Dawn, so I put together a selection."
Tara looks at the crowded table, "Buffy, there's enough here to feed an army."
Buffy sits down, still wearing her apron, "Well, Vhesthine said that food needs to be strong and aromatic, so I thought, well."
Tara laughs, "I was kidding. Goddess Buffy, you are so flustered. I haven't seen you like this since you were resurrected."
Buffy is saved from further embarrassment by the doorbell ringing. Hurriedly standing up, she says, "I've got it." Before heading to the door.
Answering the door, she's surprised to see Razial and Willow standing there. Slack jawed, she just stares at them for a second, until Razial says, "May we come in, my apprentice needs to cast a spell."
Numbly Buffy steps to one side, before babbling, "We've just sat down to dinner if you'd like to join us. There's plenty to eat, so it's no problem."
Razial walks in before stating, "We have no business that would be aided by such an endeavour, therefore I will decline. Where are Dawn and Vhesthine?"
Buffy closes the door, "In the kitchen, um this way."
As she returns to the kitchen, Buffy is mildly confused to see a Chinese woman sitting where Vhesthine was. Though she covers it by walking around the table.
When Tara sees Willow, her expression darkens, and she folds her napkin. Razial ignores this and points to both Dawn and Vhesthine, "Apprentice, cast your spell on those two."
Willow looks down at the floor, "I don't know that I can master, I am quite tired."
With a sigh, Razial summons it out of her bag before thrusting it in front of Tara, "Very well. Miss McLay, you cast it."
Tara squeaks, "Me? I don't even know what it does."
With an impatient growl, Razial stalks around the table to Buffy, "Slayer, you do it then. Just read it aloud while concentrating on the person you're casting it on."
Buffy puts her hands on her hips and looks at Razial, "First, this is my house, you will show me respect here. Second, what is this spell supposed to do. And Third, I have never cast a spell before, so how am I supposed to do it?"
Razial steps back, and eyes Buffy's left hand warily, "My apologies for being so brusque, I forgot myself. There is a better than average translation beneath the spell. To explain, a spell is a formalised magical construct that is tied to the words and meaning, as written by the original author. No matter who reads a spell, the spell will always do what it was written to do. Because of this, the user need not have any talent in spell casting, just the ability to use magic."
Tara takes courage from Buffy, and speaks up, "That's not true, you need to know how to channel magic to cast a spell."
Razial turns towards her, "That, young witch, is the difference between an incantation and a spell. A spell without magic is an incantation."
Buffy looks at the spell, "And you promise it won't do something like turn them into an infested."
Razial looks at Buffy, "I promise that if anything does go wrong, it will be as new to me as it is to you."
Buffy swallows hard, and hands the page to Vhesthine, "Vhesthine, honest question, what do you think?"
While Buffy is agonising over the decision, Dawn pulls a chocolate covered donut from the fridge. Taking a deep breath, Buffy reads out the words while looking at Dawn. Lots of pretty lights swirl around the two of them, before sinking into Dawn to no apparent effect. Smiling, Dawn picks up the donut and takes a big bite, before gagging and staggering over to the bin to spit it out.
Razial looks at Dawn in concern, "That should have worked, as you are both human."
Buffy collapses in a chair with hysterical laughter, "Oh that's funny, person must mean of the same species as me. I'm not human, and I haven't been since I was 13 years old."
Dawn just pouts and looks at Razial, "Master, please may you lift the disguise from me?"
Razial mutters, "It appears I've made some basic errors in my assumptions." Before he disappears in a flash of fire.
A moment later, the doorbell goes again, and Tara gets up, "I'll get it!"
As she hurries out, Dawn sags into her chair once more, "It's not fair. Buffy, you're not helping."
Dawn's despair trails off as both she, and Vhesthine, look at the door to the hall. Just after they do, Anya walks in, followed by Xander. Dawn stands up and drifts over to Xander, before hugging him, "Mmm, Xander, you smell so yummy."
Anya blinks for a sec before slapping Dawn's hand, "Bad Dawn, Xander's mine. Get your own hottie." She then pulls Xander behind her, "That goes for you too."
Buffy pulls herself together, "Sorry guys, um, Willow, Anya, Xander. This is Vhesthine, she's a succubus, and I invited her round for dinner."
Anya looks at Vhesthine with disgust, "Keep your grubby mitts off my Xander, you hear me?"
Buffy starts to stand up, "I just need to see how Tara's doing."
Vhesthine shakes her head, "Don't worry, I'll do it, and I'll take trouble with me."
Dawn whines as Xander gets further away from her, then she spots Willows piece of paper, "Anya, you're human. Cast this on me please?" She even clasps her hands in a pleading gesture.
Anya shakes her head, "Ex Vengeance demon remember."
As Vhesthine drags Dawn out of the room, Anya looks at Buffy, "What's going on? I didn't think she was interested in boys yet."
Buffy shakes her head, "She still isn't really. But when she collapsed at school, Vhesthine took her to work, and Razial disguised her as a succubus. Long story short, Dawn asked for it again Friday, and Razial was unavailable when the business closed."
Xander puts his hand up, "So, what, she's a succubus now?"
Willow quietly says, "In the same way Amy was a rat."
Anya whirls around and pulls Willow into a hug, "Willow! Thank you for removing our memories like that. Because of you, I've got my Xander back. I'd have said something earlier, but well, a girl has needs, ya know."
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Vhesthine pulls Dawn up to Buffy's bedroom before turning around and taking her hands, "Dawn, look at me."
Dawn tears her gaze from the door and looks at Vhesthine, "Yes Vhesthine?"
"Dawn, while you're like this, I'm going to take on the role of your matriarch. Do you understand?"
Dawn shakes her head, "Not really, what's a matriarch?"
"A matriarch is the head of a succubus family. She's the one that teaches fledgelings our ways, and feeds them if their mother dies. She's also supposed to teach self-control, and that's something you need to get a handle on before you learn to feed yourself."
Dawn shakes her head, "I don't understand."
"Dawn, what would you have done to Xander if you knew how to feed?"
Dawn looks down, "Probably licked him like a popsicle."
Vhesthine sighs, "Oh god, I'm glad you're still a fledgling. Dawn, I'm about to feed you in the way of my people. I need you to promise me that even if you work out how to do it, you won't do so unless I'm there."
Dawn looks back at the door, "Uh huh, I promise."
"No Dawn, I need you to look at me and say the words, and mean them."
Dawn looks back, "I promise I won't feed unless you're there. Can I go?"
Vhesthine counts to 10, "No, I need you to open your mouth slightly for me."
"Ok?"
Vhesthine holds Dawn's head and leans down to push her mouth over Dawn's before pushing some of the essence she fed on last night out and into Dawn's mouth. Dawn sags, and moans when Vhesthine lets go.
"Mmm, that was better than Maple Chocolate Donuts, and nothing's better than those."
Vhesthine nods, "It is, and it gets better as you get older. But it is a person's essence that we consume, not their soul, their life force. If you eat too much of it, they will die, even if they seem to still be alive. It might take a few minutes, or maybe a few hours, but they will fall asleep and just never wake up."
Dawn nods along absently, "Uh huh."
Vhesthine sighs, "Fledglings, they're all the same. Come on Dawn, let's check on Tara."
Dawn smiles, and bounces out of the room and into Tara's room, before jumping on the bed beside her, "Hey Tara. Are you ok?"
Tara looks away, "Yeah, I'm ok."
Dawn leans in and sniffs her, "Are you sure, as you smell like that dark chocolate that Giles used to buy occasionally."
Vhesthine walks around the bed and sits beside Tara, before releasing her disguise and taking Tara's hand, "That's a touch of lust, a lot of love, disappointment, and heartbreak."
Tara looks up, her face puffy, "You know Giles only bought that because he knew no one else would eat it."
Dawn takes Vhesthine's lead, and changes into her succubus form, then hugs Tara from behind, with her wings too, "Hey, come back down with us. You can sit between us, and I can stare at you enviously while you eat."
Tara looks up at Dawn, "But Willow's here, and she's their friend, not me."
Dawn looks at her as if she's an idiot, "You're both our friends, besides, you live here, Willow doesn't."
It takes the two of them another 5 minutes to persuade Tara to join them for dinner. When they get downstairs, Willow has already left, and the others are sitting around the table chatting.
As the six of them eat, Dawn chews and swallows a bite. "Buffy, this smells wonderful, and I've never thought about textures before, but they're interesting too. But I think I'm glad I can't taste it."
Xander looks up from his fourth portion of one of the meat dishes, "What do you mean, this is great?"
Beside him, Anya fans her face and reaches for a glass of water, "Speak for yourself, what did you put in this Buffy?"
Buffy drains her own glass, "That recipe called for three red peppers, so I saw these lovely red ghost peppers, and figured they would add a faint background taste. You know, the ghost in the name?"
Tara coughs and drinks a glass of her own water, "Did you do the same for all the dishes?"
Buffy nods silently as she eats another bite of food, "It tastes good though."
Anya looks at Buffy in disbelief, "You can taste it over the heat?"
"Uh huh."
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After dinner, Vhesthine pulls Buffy upstairs so they can have dessert, while Tara and Dawn catch up with Xander and Anya, well mainly Xander.
As Vhesthine gently pushes Buffy back onto Buffy's bed, Buffy says, "I know I said I'd feed you, but, um, you'll need to teach me how. As I think you understood it in a different way than I meant it."
Vhesthine purrs as she climbs on top of Buffy, "Oh I did, and I will. Just try to do what I do."
Vhesthine leans down and kisses Buffy on the mouth, pushing a tiny bit of essence into the kiss. Buffy's body flushes as she does, and she kisses back.
Vhesthine lifts back up, "Physical doesn't do anything, essence. I need essence." She leans in for another kiss, and Buffy grasps for the sensation, but moans as it overtakes her. By the time she get's it, she's so full of lust that Vhesthine is almost ready to throw teaching to the wind, and just take.
As Buffy pushes a tiny bit of essence back into Vhesthine, Vhesthine's eyes roll up into her head, and she moans loud into Buffy's mouth. Lifting her head up, she looks at Buffy, "More."
As Buffy becomes more proficient with feeding Vhesthine her essence, and the two of them start mutually exchanging it, Buffy's doppelganger appears crouching on the dresser, a wide, sinister, grin on its face.
Vhesthine, starts to move on, and rips Buffy's clothes off before kissing her once more, and this time Buffy screams her name, before she tries to return the favour.
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Willow wakes up Sunday morning with someone saying "Willow?"
Turning over towards the wall and she blearily says, "It's Sunday, let me sleep."
The person shakes her, "Willow? Is it really you?"
Looking up with sleep caked eyes, she blinks owlishly, "Amy, go back to bed."
"Willow! It's you. You survived."
As Amy hugs her and starts crying, Willow rubs her eyes with her free hand, "Amy, it's ok. Everything will be ok."