I'm just when I think I have a fave character (besides our Blonde due) you go and make me obsessed with something else. Was loving the characterisation of Giles in the last chapter (as you know lol) but now reading more about dawn I've become mildly obsessed with the path her and Andrew are going to take. Again I think that shows you a lot of credit for your writing, the way you're able to make your ready engage with everything that's going on and have all these super interesting side stories that still play an integral role to the main plot without taking away from it all. Gah, obsessed. One last update before xheistmas? Pretty please? :-)

And Maori is awesome :-) I am Australian (Aboriginal) so kind of neighbour's. I love your cultural tattoos, tattooing in general I love but when they have such a rich background and meaning to them is just awesome. I couldn't see the pic you said- although I am on my phone so that may be why.

And yeah SR has been weird lately- there are MINIMAL reviews on a lot of stories I'm seeing pop up and I'm not sure why because there is always people on line and tones of reads happening. We definitely need to pick up the reviewing though, it's such an important part of the fan fic process (...that and I am a review whore and I need them lol).

Best wishes Jenni talk to you during the holidays. Ebbs xxx

Author's Response: Hey Ebbs, hope you had an awesome Christmas day. I'm sooo happy to be infecting you with my obsessions. These characters in this verse have really taken on a life of their own and I must say I care deeply about all of them, where they're going and what they're doing. I've read lots of fics with annoying, bigoted Xander and evil Willow, and while I think those definitely have their place, depending on the time frame (Season 6 a given), i think (or hope) that coming out the other side of such a traumatic event as the Hellmouth battle, and the loses all the Scoobies experienced over the previous few seasons should be the foundation for growth and maturity. So my version of the core characters is I guess the best of each of them, who I feel they could become given good guidance, confidence and a bit of breathing space. So cool that you are aboriginal. we Maori are a pretty feisty bunch, reasonably politically motivated to right the wrongs of the past and reclaim what was legally ours all along. Sometimes I rue the longstanding negative effects that colonization has had on our people, the lose of identity and mana and sense of self that has contributed to generational unemployment, alcoholism and cyclic abuse; problems that are not easily resolved. But then I consider the plight of aboriginal peoples and I have to feel lucky for the bargaining power that we have here in NZ. But about the tattoos - both Maori and aboriginal cultures were rich in their oral traditions, story telling, song and art important methods of passing mythology and ways of being down through the generations. For two such isolated cultures they did employ many similar facets, including use of body art - tattooing versus paint and scarification. Fascinating! Anyway, new chapter up now, hope you enjoy it, Jenine xx