Liquidram, who at first was going to just do Doc's parts, ended up being the personal assistant to our Guest Stars, and did many of the scenes for the bad guys. It was her input and leadership on one of the plotlines that really helped get everyone in a groove about where the new characters were going. Another person who says she can't write, but she seems to get into the heads of evil folks reallllly easily, and is actually (whether she'll admit it or not) a top-notch storyteller, right down to some great advice about building things up and twists in the plot.

Bess is another phenomenal writer who did her best to lend us a hand despite a tight schedule, and she ended up being one of the personal assistants to Mr. W. T. Bloody. When it came to, "oh, we need a scene between Dawn and Spike," Bess (like Lady Starlight) got their relationship/friendship just perfectly. & If you've been wondering why you've not heard from her, she's in the middle of a move & getting a new ISP, but has promised to come back. Despite all that, she managed to get us one last scene between the two sisters that's just beautiful.

Lady Starlight, the other personal assistant to Mr. W. T. Bloody, insists she doesn't have experience in writing, but I have to say here what I've said to her offline - that her writing has gone from "good storytelling, but take your time telling it!" to "wow, amazing, can I have some more, please?" Of course, the drawback to that is I expect she's going to insist on writing even more stories & I'll end up coding til the cows come home... not a problem! She's developed a great ear for the little details of what folks do and how they talk, and how to flesh out a scene in the subtlest ways.

Our make-up artist, Little One, hasn't been around for a bit since she's finally finished her move & is probably still trying to find her computer amidst too many boxes, as I write this. Talk about another skillful writer - she says she's not published yet, so I figure my payment for this story can be getting a signed first edition when she is. And no one can write Unresolved Sexual Tension like that girl can!

Purplegrrl, our overworked technical writer/novelist (another one who will owe me a signed first edition at some point), is also one of our Magick and Ritual Advisors. Honestly, without her reliable assistance on some of the more complex backstories, I think we would've been definitely lacking something. She can pack a whallop in a simple sentence (which is good when you're trying to keep a chapter down to Rufus-printer-length!), and she's versatile at moving from touching one-on-one with only a hint of pathos to really creepy stuff... No, I'm not giving anything away. You're just gonna hafta read it & enjoy the sensation of your hair curling then.

Methodica, our Demolitions Expert, was one of the original purveyors of one of our guest stars in the story. Despite the fact that it seems everyone other day Methodica is working overtime again, he spent a lot of time carefully considering the various aspects of the second plotline and its main character. His ideas and stories, and his complex dream sequences, became the backbone for everyone else on that plotline when Methodica himself was, gee, working again. Definitely an excellent storyteller, and a dedicated and detailed beta-reader, too. His readings of some of the most important scenes pointed out stuff that had completely missed me, so I owe him a huge thanks.

Rowan, our other Magick and Ritual Advisor, is another awesome writer who makes my jaw drop when I read what she calls a "rough draft." I've constantly been surprised and excited when I open her emails, cause she'll take a simple scene and fill it with just the right amount of whammy that by the end even *I* can't wait to hear what happens next. That, and she's got the whole Tara/Willow characters down pat, no sweat. There's this one scene she wrote... no, I won't ruin it. No spoilers here.

Our Special Effects guy, Talking Drum, is our other expert person on the second plotline in the story. When Methodica started working overtime, T.D. stepped up to the plate and carried us forward, providing some fascinating backstories and kick-ass scenes to keep the character going. Some of what he wrote, you may have read here - but wait til you see the rest. And without T.D.'s ideas about the Hellmouth, and filling in the Scoobie's past few months, the story just wouldn't be the same. He says he's not a writer but he's a great storyteller, with just the right ideas of how a story's characters should evolve, and what might be important for the readers to know about the characters' histories. Definitely an invaluable part of the team, with major kudos for providing that all-important touch o' the intellectual to our story.

And how could I possibly leave out our Fight Choreographer, Humanitas? I couldn't. Absolutely not. He swears he's not done creative writing since college, but I say, don't believe him. Talk about kicking butt and taking names! And with awesome dialogue, to boot. I'm positive our violence quotient doubled because the rest of us read his scenes and demanded more of the same. A great writer who may've been pretending he can't write, but we weren't fooled, and you won't be either after you read his scenes...

I've also got to give a HUGE thanks to our personal assistant to Miss B. Summers, Nina. We were teasing when we asked her to beta-read, but she became a crucial part of the team, and even assisted Liquidram on a major turning point scene in the story by giving us all insight on Buffy's point of view. She's patiently combed through every chapter, and badgered the crew when we needed it, on various details from the question of whether kisses are appropriate right down to the fact that the rest of us didn't realize the Magic Box has a men's, women's, *and* handicapped bathroom. I had no idea! But fortunately, Nina was there to make sure we toed the line, and it's a good thing, too, since the story's way better now that we've had her input.

And, of course, I won't end without mentioning the folks who contributed as the spirit moved them, and helped move us as a result: Brian, Purrfection, ChemicalRAM, and Masquerade - the last one of which, incidentally, is our honorary Stunt Double, since she's the one who started this whole escapade.

SPECIAL THANKS!
Humanitas adds: Let us just add that there was one other major contributor to this story, without whom the rest of us would have been utterly lost. This particular individual not only "put it all together," you might say, but also added enormous chunks of story, wherever there was a need. Not only a great storyteller, and editor, but also, I am delighted to say, a good friend. If the other writers will forgive me for speaking for them, let me now call for a HUGE round of cyber applause, for Solitude 1056.