When I first started working on this story (I think back in 2021) I approached it with a desire solely to chase the themes present in the first part. The small dom with a lot of attitude, big dog service top who likes to get pulled around (a real masochist emotionally and physically). The bodyguard and her dark evil ceo lover. I followed a desire to write something inspired by the roaring 20s and the evil but thrilling wonder if an industrialists life. Paying people to have ideas for you, is a very old industrial capitalist thing. I wanted to show the glamor and the luxury of shinny leather, designer watches, tailored suits, and flowing dresses all on rough, beautiful lesbians. I think to an extent that first part really does convey that pretty well. 

I have been thinking a lot about how Flur, even though she isn't as evil or manipulative as she wants people to think she is, is a capitalist in a way that I might never write again. My stomach has been so churned by Twitter falling apart. I wanted to write Flur sorta as a response too, ya know, what would a "good" person like this look like to me. What sorts of things would make up her mindset, how would she be radicalized away from great man theory and towards equity and labor rights. But you know, for all the good she has done in the story, she's still stolen people's wages and been a land lord and stuff.  I know she's fictional, but I also I don't really believe there really can be such a thing as a "good industrialist" or "good capitalist" anymore. I guess that was my radicalization journey.

I wouldn't blame people for not connecting or even understanding the choice of character I wrote here. Ultimately though, her character is one of flipping people off and grabbing a failing world by the throat to right it for the better.  Murdering your r*pist half brother in front of your family so you can steal the factory out from under him and keep the family from immolating in male chauvinist related debt does feel pretty wild. But whatever, I had fun. We can be wild ass from time to time. It's fine.

The novel opens with a peak at Flur's desire for equity for dragonkind, something that's not hidden but does grow in the background across the story to the point where it's implied she's selling weapons to a liberation movement in the southern part of the country. Flur actively lobbies against removing subways in the capital where she lives and does lots of her business. It would be more profitable to force everyone to buy a car with the engines she designed, but she still makes hand over fist selling them to train, subway, plane, and boat companies. By the end of the book she asks her workers to run her company for themselves, effectively becoming nothing more than a figure head a loud mouth piece. The story conveys a lot of that in the margins however, mostly because this isn't a story about Flur's company or her political actions.

The second part is where the story turns away from what was presented in the first part. The story isn't really about these two characters as bodyguard and CEO either, it's about their relationship and dealing with history. Things coming back to get you, litterally or emotionally. I think my favorite part of the whole novel is that masquerade, the way in which Tempest comes into her own and how she proves her love. I really like these two characters, I think about them a lot still.

The last couple parts I really struggled with, particularly the train part. I really wanted to write it well, and I think for the most part it's a strong bit of story with some weak areas. I really like the intro of family in there. The ending is a favorite, particularly the last chunk of these two living together and having a family feels very special to me. If you've read it, or it sounds interesting, I hope you feel the same.

I feel like if I were to ever come back to this story I would refine it to solely be based around that masquerade. I'd revise how the antagonist and the demon stuff works. It gets a big shonin anime, but that's fine. I'd also make it more clear how Flur's an anticapitalist disguised as a capitalist. I'd make the focus solely on the power of Tempest and Flur's love, though it is in this novel as well.