Madame Mayor - Chapter 9: The Finale

[tirepanted3]

Indeed, it's the end... sort of. It's very difficult to conclude a saga - especially one this wide and sprawling - with any true finality, and while I did my best to give some conclusion to the main character arcs (including those that were not properly wrapped up with the main Spacesuit stories), the world they inhabit remains ripe and potent for future stories, should I ever decide to revisit it.

I knew going into this whole story that it would not feature a conclusive "end" to Hargrove's arc, but I did want to give her character something of a turning point - specifically, a means for the protagonists to outsmart and humiliate her (and her FEMME squad) on some level. As to whether they've succeeded in damaging Hargrove and FEMME long-term, that was intentionally left a bit ambiguous.

I do wish I had found more time for Jenna, Claudia, and Zephyr - especially the latter two, who spend most of the climax bound and gagged. I suppose there's always room for them to headline another short story, as they did with "Six Uniform Steals Before Breakfast." We'll see...

On the topic of the conclusion, I must say the disrespect directed towards Lucille by the narration of this arc is off the charts. Going from main antagonist of the previous parts to a mere footnote wrapped up in the epilogue (after spending her whole subplot getting bullied by the plot). How the mighty have fallen. I find it hilarious.

Lucille has been a part of this saga since the very beginning, so I felt it apt to include her here (and to allude to her debut with Bridget in Volume 1). She was never a major antagonist, but she left an impact, being responsible for the debut of Chandra and Sonja. And she's just a fun antagonist to treat as the butt of a joke.

FEMME was great fun to write, both as villains and victims. This final chapter was a little challenging, in that I tried to give the different FEMME agents touches of personality, while still keeping them in the mold of the cold, forceful soldiers they were trained to be. Their downfall at the hands of wisecracking characters like Sonja and Chandra felt apropos.

I tried to put a little suspense into the Serena/Jackie mugging so it wouldn't be immediately clear that they were the ones who had lost the fight for their uniforms. But I suppose the outcome was inevitable.

Carolyn and Atsuko's relationship was key to the story, and I tried to do them justice. Despite everything they've gone through, I wanted to make sure they had the happy ending they deserved. They're two of my very favorite characters to write, and I love having them as a more grounded element when surrounded by more "action movie" style heroines and villainesses. It seemed only natural that seeing each other in FEMME uniforms would take their breath away - especially since it underscores how far they've come. And it was fitting that they would get the final scene, returning to their lives away from the chaos of the outside world.

And what can I say, I love a good mercenary duo. Chandra and Sonja remain the all-purpose characters in the saga, able to function as both heroines and villainesses. And they have the best dialogue, I'd say.

I won't rehash the debate over Elena, though I will admit she was a bit tougher to write than some other characters here. I do like the idea of a quirky, bubbly woman getting a taste of uniform stealing and having it unlock a thrill within her, but it was difficult to add more layers to her character, especially as she's often a sounding board for Polina and Lupe to voice their differing views on uniform stealing. That said, I did love writing the moment where Lupe bursts out laughing - almost from catharsis - at Elena's terrible joke. In the end, Elena worked best for me at informing Lupe's development, even if she didn't always function so well on her own.

As the epilogue, this chapter was a good time to pay off a couple of lingering threads, most notably with Corinne. Poor Olga not getting a line, though - I was hoping to give her a bigger role at the end, but this was indeed a busy chapter.

Sonja's speech was, for me, the thematic centerpiece of this final chapter. A fun joke to end the saga, to give the uniform thieves a moment in the sun and to humiliate Hargrove while doing so. After all the serious drama of prior chapters, it felt good to finish with some comedy. (Ditto the later scene with Sonja and Chandra pouncing on the two unlucky FBI agents.)

I debated whether the final scene of the story would be the Chandra/Sonja scene or the Carolyn/Atsuko scene. The former's dynamic is more comedic and escapist, while the latter's is more intimate and sentimental. I ultimately decided to go with the more down-to-earth final scene and gave the last words to Carolyn and Atsuko; they've certainly earned the designation.

Thanks for your thoughts, on this and all the other chapters. This was a tough story to write, and more than once did I worry I had bit off more than I could chew. But I was glad to bring back so many of these characters for a final sendoff. I've been writing them for years, and I couldn't let them go without a proper finale.

My next project, as you are aware, will be daunting in its own right. I should start posting that one soon...