Uniform Stealing Board

Saker: Thanks! Yes, I tried to throw a couple of unexpected developments into the epilogue. Moving things in place for Volume 7, which will hopefully send things out on a high note.

Esercito: Thank you. I'm glad I was able to work in some fencing uniforms into the saga - it's an underutilized disguise (the only famous example I can think of is from Mrs. Peel in the Avengers) and so was worth adding into a chapter that wasn't quite as USB-heavy as some previous installments.

I don't know if I'd say that Harper has the "right attitude" (morally speaking) but she's definitely more gung-ho about uniform stealing than her peers, which I suppose makes her a natural fit for this board.

Your points about keeping up with contemporary times are well noted. I try my best not to bring outside politics into these stories, but I have grown interested in exploring the politics of uniform stealing as a cultural and social issue. The impact on perceptions of crime, and perceptions of female empowerment, are intriguing and worth exploring, particularly as there are so many characters in the series with conflicting views on the subject.

I would say that some of your readings are unintentional - for example, I came up with the idea of Bridget getting fired several weeks ago, and it was not inspired by any real-life scandals. It just felt like a logical but necessary step in Bridget's character arc, and it will of course be followed up on in Volume 7.

Thanks again.

Simon4242: Indeed, some karma for Harper, who won't get to mug women for their clothes as much as she likes. As for Bobbi and Zuhal, no spoilers but their development is not yet over. Stay tuned.

how were the poor farmers knocked out lol and were they and the poor fencers found lol

They were all found eventually, I'm sure. Normally I would have spent more time showing and describing the knockouts, but as an epilogue, I wanted this chapter to be a bit quieter and more character-based, with less in the way of direct action. Tough to do that in a series where characters thrive on mugging other women on a regular basis, but I did my best.

I just love Sabira's reaction... Finding unconscious women stripped of their clothes inside a dumpster isn't worth mentioning... like it's an everyday occurence... (though I guess in her fictional world, it IS ). BUT finding a five-dollar bill on the other hand... Of course, she just had to utter the dreadful "Maybe the night isn't so bad after all..." right afterwards. This sentence, it's just like saying: "It can't get any worst..." or "You can't stop me now!" There are things you should never say out loud. Under any circumstances.

Well, at least this joke made my day!

Please be honest... This epilogue is actually one gigantic disguised cliffhanger, isn't it? I'm quite convinced of that. However, it's a good one - between Bridget's secret being ousted (I'm curious to see how her friends will react to the news by the way), Dr. Chen's return, Jenna entering the campaign team of a politician crusading against uniform stealing, many uniform stealers running on the loose... You sure know how to make us want to read the next part...

Dr. Chen's return was a bit unexpected - unless I don't remember an earlier part in this volume mentioning it - but at the same time the story had always left it ambiguous whether she had died or not, so the twist works. In hindsight, it's logical she returns - she IS this saga's main antagonist. Not that I'm complaining. I've grown to like her as a villain - she clearly has the shoulders to be the saga's overarching antagonist.

Though the best twist about her return was the success of her plan to ruin Bridget's life. Really unexpected, but a good way to catch my attention (and I guess everyone else's too).

"Thanks," Jenna beamed. "And I gotta say... I've got a good feeling about this campaign already."

Personally, I have the feeling there will be a lot of hijinks related to it...

Now, to do a quick summary of my general thoughts on the entire volume.

The narration was as solid as always. Quips, one-liners, funny dialogues, and witty repartees were once again the story's main strength. Well-paced descriptions and your knack for bringing rarely seen uniforms from time to time, are a close second. And of course there are the usual twists and turns your story takes whenever its various storylines collide. In that regards, the last part of the climax was particularly noticeable.

The characters were well-characterized (please forgive the repetition...). You took the time to develop them, which is always something I'm looking for in a story. The protagonists were badass and witty, and their various personalities made for good (or emotional) banters.

I appreciate how you expand the "lore" (so to speak) by analysing and describing how a (mostly) realistic world would react to rampant uniform stealing. At first, it started as self-conscious humour, but now you've chosen to include it as a "serious" story element - which is an interesting route.

I also appreciate the fact that this story shakes the status quo: Bridget loses her job, Felicia and Bobbi end their friendship (temporarily?), Jenna breaks up with her team... After all these volumes, it felt refreshing. At the same time, you spent enough time "preparing the ground" for these changes, so they feel natural.

So Ashley is becoming something of a rallying point for uniform stealing opponents? I don't know how to feel about that... Sorry, remaining focused and somewhat serious here.

On a more personal note, this volume (and also of the previous one technically) was a very interesting reading experience, because it made me realize first-hand that one can at the same time see (and admire) all the hard work, talent and efforts put behind a story... and at the same time feel very frustrated at times. Thus Bobbi finishes her journey from my favorite to my most disliked protagonist... Now, her character arc is well-written. There certainly was a feeling of inevitability when I was reading her parts. While I won't say it was a pleasant part to read for me, it still was the part I was invested the most. However, I admit I was expecting this outcome for a while now, so in a way I'm glad we reached it. Now the suspense is over, at last. And I'm also glad other people voice their love for this character, because there really is something doesn't go along well with as far as this character is now concerned. I take solace in the fact I'm the vocal minority here.

To conclude, I'm amazed by the sheer size and scope of your saga. I can only encourage you to finish your sagait with your final volume (after some rest I suppose ). Good luck. I suppose I'll hear of your saga again this Summer.

The idea of Sabira having no reaction to a pair of bound-and-gagged women in a dumpster - but being more impressed by the sight of a little money - was too amusing to pass up. Just to show that even in a world where uniform stealing is a regular occurrence, some women take it more in stride than others. (And in this case, not being alerted by it turned out to be a danger for her.)

In a way, yes, this epilogue was a cliffhanger - or rather, a setup to move things in place for Volume 7. There are still a lot of characters and story arcs to coordinate, so I wanted to make sure things were in place by the end of this volume, rather than setting them up at the beginning of the next one.

Dr. Chen's fate was deliberately left open-ended at the end of Volume 5, and it made sense to bring her back, since she is as you say the main antagonist of the series. It was also important to show that her repeated defeats in the past had not painted her as incapable - ergo, she does being to succeed in her plan to destroy Bridget's life. Her scheme to dismantle Bridget systematically and psychologically remains, to my eye, more interesting than a villain who simply wants to kill the hero outright.

The political campaign to end uniform stealing will indeed play an important role in Volume 7 - and there will certainly be some hijinks.

The dialogue remains, for me, one of the most entertaining parts of writing USB stories - especially when the characters have interesting personalities to play off of - so I'm glad you enjoy it as well.

The exploration of uniform stealing and its impact on the world is a concept that has become more interesting to me with time. Originally, as you say, it was played for comedy, but after writing the series for several years, I've grown more engaged in the subject on a serious level, in seeing how the different characters feel about a world where women are routinely mugged for their clothes, and how society as a whole will react. These questions about uniform stealing's impact on women and culture will play a major role in Volume 7.

It was also important, as the penultimate volume of the series, to really shake up the status quo, which is why several main characters find themselves in new (and often unwelcome) situations by the end. Bridget, Bobbi, and Felicia have been the core relationship of the series from the beginning, but they've all had issues building for a while, and here things finally snap. Another way to lead into Volume 7.

Ashley becoming a rallying point for Jenna - a true anti-USB warrior - felt natural, as Ashley is perhaps the unluckiest USB character in the saga. Although beyond her interaction with Jenna, most people probably don't know who she is. Rest assured, though, without specific spoilers - we have not seen the last of Ashley just yet.

I'm also glad these stories continue to invest you emotionally, even if sometimes the emotions are of frustration. Bobbi's arc, which I began planning out several years ago, was probably never going to be to everyone's taste, but I wanted to make it interesting and investing, even if some would ultimately be polarized by it. So it's great to hear that you remain invested in her storyline (which will continue to develop - hopefully to a good conclusion - in Volume 7.)

Thank you for your thoughts. I must admit that when I started this series (which was originally just meant to be one volume), I never imagined it would grow this large in scale and scope. It's been a thrill to write it these last few years, and I only hope I can conclude it properly. And yes, it should begin sometime in the next few weeks.

mr Tirepanted, I want to share with you one of the most savage dreams of mine about this saga; all the main characters start collecting the underwears of their victims, for better debating the subject , and eventually developing an addiction

Well, I think the only characters who really care about their victims' underwear choices are Sonja and Zuhal. I suppose they could debate the subject further, but they're probably not the type to start a collection.