Blood & Chlorophyll Ch. 17 - Reflection

There's something incredibly refreshing about writing the aftermath for an event that I've been teasing for ages. Like, sometimes in stories, the slow build of tension leads to a great moment and then the story falls flat afterwards, and I'm really happy that's not a problem I've struggled with. It always feels so nice to reconnect with characters after a dramatic change, and this chapter was a great example of that.

Our happy little couple is officially sleeping together!

This whole opening section was a blast. I loved putting together the quick montage of the wild things they got up to last night, and I loved the subtle ways the dialogue feels different now that they've slept together.

Of course, one problem I did have was finding a way to transition from content sexual afterglow to a bit of a training montage. I'm happy I showed the first few days of their training, I think it was enjoyable to watch and made for interesting character dynamics. For anyone really into the LitRPG side of things, it was also a great excuse to explore the game mechanics of the world a bit. However, I'm ready to jump into the Dungeon, and that means the story needs to keep up with me.

I'm happy with the solution I landed on, I think it gives us the best of both worlds. I think I nailed the vibe of this chapter really well, it really feels like everyone is falling into place for the inevitable delving attempt.

I loved focusing on the moments leading up to Elias' arrival. I made sure to show earlier in the book that he and Alicia get along really well, and I wanted their introduction to feel like a perfect example of Alicia's exuberance. The image of her tackling Elias down under the water had me cackling, so hopefully it was just as enjoyable to read!

Of course, there was one small detail I always intended to handle before the delving started. When we first met Tabitha, she talked our two leads into giving her blank checks for favors, and I always intended Kat's to be cashed before the delving began.

Specifically, that she would ask Kat to drink her blood on stream.

Tabitha has been a bit of an awkward character at times. We don't get to see anything from her POV, and I'm trying to subtly establish that she's constantly putting up a front in an attempt to seize control of her life. However, this means it can be difficult to hint at complex character motivations that she's actively trying to hide.

Ideally, her request is a good example of her inner conflict. The fact that she sees how tentative Kat's self-control is, and the knowledge that delving is inherently a very risky endeavor.

Since I'm working in a collaborative universe, I do my best to contribute to the worldbuilding as much as possible. Sometimes this is pretty obvious, like when Kat spent an entire chapter meeting new characters. With that chapter, I wanted to explore the idea that delving is only a small part of the post-Change world, and there are still tons of people that happily stick to their day jobs for various reasons.

I think I've brought this up before, but a writing pet peeve I have is when authors ignore every aspect of their world outside of the one unique selling point. One thing that really excites me about the BM setting is how varied the stories can be! Yes, I'm a little guilty of this myself since I'm writing about Dungeons and delving, but that's one reason I try really hard to show other parts of the world.

Now, one reason I bring this up is that I think it's easy to overlook just how scary the Change was. I used Katrina's backstory to help sell the fear a bit, and I wanted to continue that thread with Tabitha's request.

Our poor Foxgirl is nervous about Kat's Race, and she has no idea how right she is. I don't state it explicitly, but she really has no idea that Kat has killed before, quite a bit. She has very good reasons to be scared, but that doesn't mean her request isn't going to push all of Kat's anxiety triggers.

Another benefit of this is that it gives me a chance to switch up the dynamic between Kat and Alicia for a bit. Alicia tends to be the more nervous of the two, especially as her relationship anxieties have come to light, and I thought it was interesting to explore a scenario where Alicia was the one comforting Kat rather than the other way around.

And of course, I guess it's a little convenient that her specific anxieties mean she agrees to do the cam show in her lingerie. Is this something I set up ages ago just for this bit? Maybe. I'll never tell.

There's actually not too much to say about this chapter otherwise! I had a blast writing it, and I hope you're all excited to see Kat's cam show!

Nyx <3