Of masks and dances - chapter 24: Dive

Of masks and dances
Chapter 24: Dive
In which Lumine's path becomes clear.

The last set-up chapter for the Abyss arc. I was really looking forward to writing that bit, and now am drowning in notes and half-written scenes. Halp.

But the chapter, yes. This was a breeze to write, I even finished it early and had the luxury of letting some days pass before giving it the last 3 revisions. At which point I decided to add that smol Childe POV bit, which meant I had to move some things around and, well, I ended up not posting on the saturday anyway. Still posted earlier than I've been posting, so yay for that.

While I was writing this chapter it became clear it was a mirror to the one chapter in which Diluc makes plans to save Kaeya from Anthiosa, so I tried to make the distinction shine. How Lumine plans (very little) as opposed to how Diluc plans (with a checklist and a thorough set of measures).

Also on contrasts, if you'll allow me to go all r/relationships on you, how much of an avoidant attachment style Lumine is, as opposed to Diluc's anxious, co-dependent thing. Fun times for people that will now spend an unknown amount of time stuck together!

There are some narrative decisions I had to make a couple chapters back that really show in this one, though I don't expect people to care as much as I do. I'll list them here because it's my own blog:

• Kaeya's POV has been missing, since he's been busy, but also there was Stuff going on. I love the idea that, in another world, there would be a hero's journey structured fic about him (the last heir to a fallen empire, plagued by horrible thoughts) and Albedo (the smart, capable boyfriend with hidden depths and maybe clones) descending into the Abyss to get rid of the cursed sword. Since this fic is not it, I hope someone picks up the idea and runs with it.
• Childe was black boxed for dramatic reasons. I do hope the uncertain loyalties bit came across, because otherwise I've been depriving me of writing my murder boy for nothing. Seriously, it was such a joy to write that one scene. I actually have another Childe fic going on (Childe/Lumine, nothing published because I need to nail it down a bit more), but I play him more of a ingenue in that one, it's just not as delicious as writing Childe-the-trained-operative POVs.

[On a side note, I recommend every fic author to go and keep several versions of their blorbos in their mind. There is no reason to get chained to a specific head canon, explore all possibilities of those blorbos. Go wild.]

• I skipped around with Lumine's research so not to make it boring (bonus point for making it dramatic), but I understand I also deprived the world from several cameos, namely Chongyun, Xiao and Yae Miko. I am sorry/not sorry. Also, Lumine did not show up in Ei's doorstep asking for help because if there is one person that would just say "I'm sorry for this" and cut her down, that would have been Ei.
• My baby boy Diluc learned the skill Flirt! That is not the only thing he learned from hanging out with Childe, but it's the easiest to show. I really hope the amount of character development that he had shows.

So, Abyss arc. That would be 3 to 5 chapters all in all, depends a lot on how much I decide to write. That would mean we're about 6 chapters from the end. This fic will easily be 300k by then. What a fucking journey.