Locrian #2 is much more common, it defuses the leading tone resolution to the relative major.

Yeah that would be a good scale to harmonize over those diminished chords in the progression I wrote. You’ll hear the locrian #2 a lot in jazz, and similar genres. It’s not uncommon to have it play a larger part in the composition either. The locrian is heard the majority of the time in endings cause of it’s “fading away” effect, usually climaxed by a major tonic chord. It’s hard to think of a diminished chord playing a center role in the developing parts of a song.

Many jazz songs are not written by making a chord progression and making a melody over it, but rather from making a melody then fitting a chord progression underneath it. "Take Five" for example... chords were an afterthought. Many hymns are like this too. "Amazing Grace", for example - what's important, the chords or the melody? The great songwriters make a melodic hook and then write the chords under it. That's why many popular songs have a super-simple chord progression - it's the melody (sung or played) that's important. Another song just came to mind - "Sleep Walk". Very catchy, due to the melody, not the progression (which is just a I, vi, IV, V).

Yeah that’s been a debate since the beginning of music theory. Whether to write the melody first, then the chord progression or the chord progression first and then the melody? I always try to write the melody first, chord progression next. I find that as you try to figure a melody over a chord progression. The melody always seems to be limited and strictly connected to the C.P. Confliction always comes next. Since I usually hum the melody mentally and the chord progression seems more scientific. With a little theory behind me it’s easy to figure out a chord progression and explore it’s range more creatively. Especially if the melody changes key one or more times. I don’t believe it’s wrong to start with the chord progression first, especially if that’s what works for you. Depends on where the inspiration comes from in my opinion. I will say the melody is the most important line in music, whichever way you are more creative with the melody. That’s your way.