abahwrites

[abahwrites]

Mei’s Journal

In the wake of the night, I feared your existence would no longer beside me; I feared that even the slightest of accidents, I could lose you forever. In the nights at which I contemplate and give my deepest thoughts a dearest place in my heart, I yearn for your presence. In the nights which I spent a lot of my time thinking about you, I only had coffee to calm my soul and slow, fuzzy, bluesy rock song to accompany me throughout the late night adventures. While the lights out and the streets are cold and haunting as flickering lights and broken neon bulbs decorated the silence, my eyes are crying, keeping a forlorn hope of a presence it yearns, and who am I have been missing is you, Yuzu.

Ever since you took that job, I wonder when will you come home to me, back to the couch we used to share hugs and kisses. Back to the moderate budget soap operas that you used to like so much, back to the rainy days that shared our heart's doubts. Back to that ramen shop where the owners know you so well that when we visited them, they are all already know what's your favourite.

Torrential rain poured down today. There are storm warning and possible flooding will occur if the rain continues until tomorrow evening. With a cup of coffee wrapped in my hands, I took a seat on the windowsill. Looking at the heavy rain outside as the song reaches its end. The song finally ends in an echo that gradually becomes quieter and quieter. The rain let up a bit and the playlist plays another song, it was set on shuffle play.

The coffee went cold faster than I sipped it. The windowsill on which I sat now gone colder and the loneliness soon turned into a deadlier loneliness. The rain let up as I thought about you, your presence, and how I miss you each and every day. Without you, the city looks deserted, looks like a desert, even. Empty, barren, bleak, hopeless… arid and with more emptiness than ever. Sitting on the windowsill with fuzzy, psychedelic stoner rock was only another dose of escaping from reality. It calms me down and soothes my soul.

A sleepy sensation came after I sipped the coffee. As the rain pounding the awning of a store in front of my room, and the cicadas having their concert in the backyard, and yet my eyes won't shut - lying on the couch, eyes open staring at the emptiness, looks like a person dying after getting shot in the chest in a homicide.

Was trying to sleep. Only to feel a longing for your presence.

I've waited for so long,

Yet you never come.

You never come.

"Longing…" Mei Aihara

27th of August

[abahwrites]

Cirrus Messaging Service

Yuzu,

I wish that we hug, held hands, and take a walk in the park altogether again; and I hate to see my shadow over the pavement without yours beside it. I am sorry that I have to leave you alone with all the burden and vague feelings that I have for you. My shadow over a sunny sky is nothing with your absence. I fear that one day I had to walk with just a half of my shadow - half of me, importantly.

I wrote this letter because there is no word could express how I miss you day by day, dear sister. I always looked towards the sky, wondering if there are any possibilities that the wind, would lead me back to you; at the very least, send this scrabble of words to you, without hesitation. Just as like yourself, showing your love, affection, and compassion to me. Maybe, all of your faults doesn't mean anything to me back then and just a mere nuisance. Now, I understand, I understand it all. You opened new gates for me to explore, yet I still stuck in the old ways of living, for the sake of Aihara family.

I wish that I can hang out with you a bit more, I want the day I left never arrived and should never interfere with our relationship. The night I slept in the new house seems empty, although it's cramped with a lot of my stuff and studies works, there is one thing I forgot to bring.

I am sorry that I forgot to bring our relationship together.

I am sorry that I forgot to say goodbye in person.

With this letter, my yearning is for you all, sister.

I miss you. I wish we can go back to the way we used to be.

Sincerely,

Mei Aihara.

7 chapter (and counting) Fanfiction link: Cirrus Messaging Service, Written by Me.

[abahwrites]

Take time with a wounded hand, cause it likes to heal.

Stone Temple Pilots “Creep”

“Are we going to reunited once again, Amelie?”

“I’m afraid not.”

… . .

— support + follow my art on : Twitter | Patreon | Ko-Fi | Twitch

[abahwrites]

I named him Obi, It’s very easy to remember.

He’s a charmer, right?

[abahwrites]

Frost - The Beginning

Paradise or Paradies? A Piece of Heaven or Bits of Hell?

I cannot believe how much time I slept today, I didn’t remember how or why I caught myself in a place called Frost, or at least what the brochure said in front of my bed – it’s not a brochure, more or less similar to a poster, a billboard poster. I cannot recall previous events of my life, I cannot recall my friends and colleagues, I cannot remember anything – even some of the family members of the Ziegler family. To my view, the place called Frost shared an exciting picture of a world. It’s one of those locations that offer an unending season of festivities, cheerfulness, sharing a drink together, and another endless session of theatrical shows and plays. Alas, I can only see a white blanket of snow and droplets of snowflakes, but nowhere near the festivities, the cheerfulness, or even the theatrical shows.

However, I found myself wide awake in a hut, belongs to an old lady named Ana – or should I called her Grandma Ana, an Egyptian lady that lives longer than my grandfather, even longer than humanity itself, I suppose. She is so wise that to put me in her own bedding where the snow is nonstop, and the frigid weather threatens to put me as one of their thousands of icy, embalmed statues. She found a lot of people that didn’t know how or why they are in Frost at first. A French lady, very mysterious being, once stayed here but she could not survive the harsh winter of Frost that reached minus 30 degrees Celsius at its highest peak. She went to the Icy Cathedral of Hopeless Hopes, but to no avail – she was found dead within two hundred and fifty meters from Grandma Ana’s hut. She always said the same thing to different people that want to get out of Frost. I don’t quite remember what she said, but sure it’s a very, very important warning. Grandma Ana once said that a man named Jack Morrison stayed at her humble hut a few weeks earlier before my arrival. Jack was my teammate back in the day, back before we even knew each other.

Jack was... stubborn, even in battle, when we were just compatriots that served together in the Alpha Team, he never cared for war wounds or physical harms or even bullet scratches that tore apart his uniform like a sabrecat pouncing a careless hunter. Jack didn’t care about anything but the mission, he always wants to finish the job quickly so he can get home even quicker and plan even more dangerous tasks for all of us to suffer. Master Engineer Torbjorn recalled that in one mission he had to plant a lot of turrets in various places to keep the Commander alive, Cadet Oxton can’t believe that she has to move so quickly with her translocator to protect Commander’s flanks and his life. Now that he’s gone eaten by the frozen cotton and embalmed with all the sorrow... and a glimpse of curiosity of why the Icy Cathedral’s magnificence is beyond any creations. Grandma Ana said so, Icy Cathedral is one of the most visited tourist attractions, but none ever found their way back nor come back to Grandma Ana’s hut. Jack was brave, but his bravery is just leading him to his undoing. Just like the others who sought for an escape, but to only fall for their inevitable, cold death of Frost. But, even still, I... we do not know how we get here. How we even arrived in Frost. I’m digging through Grandma Ana’s stash of abandoned journals from my “predecessors.” How Frost lured most of us to just die in it, is something straight out of a book, or a game.

[abahwrites]

Resources For Writing Sketchy Topics

Medicine

A Study In Physical Injury

Comas

Medical Facts And Tips For Your Writing Needs

Broken Bones

Burns

Unconsciousness & Head Trauma

Blood Loss

Stab Wounds

Pain & Shock

All About Mechanical Injuries (Injuries Caused By Violence)

Writing Specific Characters

Portraying a kleptomaniac.

Playing a character with cancer.

How to portray a power driven character.

Playing the manipulative character.

Portraying a character with borderline personality disorder.

Playing a character with Orthorexia Nervosa.

Writing a character who lost someone important.

Playing the bullies.

Portraying the drug dealer.

Playing a rebellious character.

How to portray a sociopath.

How to write characters with PTSD.

Playing characters with memory loss.

Playing a pyromaniac.

How to write a mute character.

How to write a character with an OCD.

How to play a stoner.

Playing a character with an eating disorder.

Portraying a character who is anti-social.

Portraying a character who is depressed.

How to portray someone with dyslexia.

How to portray a character with bipolar disorder.

Portraying a character with severe depression.

How to play a serial killer.

Writing insane characters.

Playing a character under the influence of marijuana.

Tips on writing a drug addict.

How to write a character with HPD.

Writing a character with Nymphomania.

Writing a character with schizophrenia.

Writing a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Writing a character with depression.

Writing a character who suffers from night terrors.

Writing a character with paranoid personality disorder.

How to play a victim of rape.

How to play a mentally ill/insane character.

Writing a character who self-harms.

Writing a character who is high on amphetamines.

How to play the stalker.

How to portray a character high on cocaine.

Playing a character with ADHD.

How to play a sexual assault victim.

Writing a compulsive gambler.

Playing a character who is faking a disorder.

Playing a prisoner.

Portraying an emotionally detached character.

How to play a character with social anxiety.

Portraying a character who is high.

Portraying characters who have secrets.

Portraying a recovering alcoholic.

Portraying a sex addict.

How to play someone creepy.

Portraying sexually/emotionally abused characters.

Playing a character under the influence of drugs.

Playing a character who struggles with Bulimia.

Illegal Activity

Examining Mob Mentality

How Street Gangs Work

Domestic Abuse

Torture

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Murder

Terrorism

Internet Fraud

Cyberwarfare

Computer Viruses

Corporate Crime

Political Corruption

Drug Trafficking

Human Trafficking

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Contemporary Slavery 

Black Market Prices & Profits

AK-47 prices on the black market

Bribes

Computer Hackers and Online Fraud

Contract Killing

Exotic Animals

Fake Diplomas

Fake ID Cards, Passports and Other Identity Documents

Human Smuggling Fees

Human Traffickers Prices

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Prostitution Prices

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Earnings From Illegal Jobs

Countries In Order Of Largest To Smallest Risk

Forensics

arson

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Blood Analysis

Book Review

Cause & Manner of Death

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crime lab

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Misc

Multiple Murderers

On This Day

Poisons & Drugs

Police Procedure

Q&A

serial killers

Space Program

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Time of Death

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[abahwrites]

End of Things

So caught in myself that I became a slave to my own. Was it really emotionally worth it?

[abahwrites]

Future(d)

An Observation and Story of Amélie Juliette Lacroix (née Guillard)

with the help of Olivia Sofia Colomar

Monday, 1st of July, 2144

A comprehensive, complex, and abstract thinking of mankind have led me to my undoing. It has been three or four years since I’m kidnapped by the Talon, a group that “forced” me to represent them as a maniacal, incomprehensive, yet efficient terrorist organisation that spread chaos all over the world through murder, fraud, assassinations, and ethical hacking for our benefits. Now, I have lived for another hundred of years thanks to their advanced technology... stolen by hacking and infiltrating industrial complex that we should not sneak into. A sincere condolence for our enemies within the Overwatch that didn’t survive another hundred years serving the country and the world, only to get their name stained by tragedy. Tug-o-war between two commanding officers, one being the Reaper, the Death Blossom, previously known as Gabriel Reyes.

Continue reading at Fanfiction.net

A huge shoutout and thanks to @branded-rose for the beautiful HC name for Sombra and Widowmaker!

Cheers.

[abahwrites]

Reyes is still single and envied Gérard who have a beautiful wife and an adorable daughter. And Reyes certainly want that kind of happiness.

Happy Halloween everyone! Remember that one post I made hinting that some of the canon Overwatch characters had babies in the Rescued AU?  Well here are some of those babies dressed up for Halloween! I wanted to draw something so I figured, why not draw the Talon gals? ;D

Amélie Lacroix & Sombra © Blizzard

Colette Lacroix, Fransisco (AKA Cisco), & Artwork © Branded-Rose 

[abahwrites]

Overwatch OC Questionnaire

I couldn’t find a questionnaire/question meme for ovw ocs so I made one. Its a mix of in-game and lore/personality stuff with a bunch of repeating question in the middle so enjoy I guess.

Give us a brief introduction of your character.

What is your character’s call sign?

Would your character be offense, defense, tank or support?

What is their gender identity?

What is their sexual orientation?

What is their alignment?

What is your character’s goal(s)?

Describe your character’s weapon(s).

Describe your character’s abilities.

Describe your character’s ult.

Give us a brief overview of your character’s backstory.

What is your characters ethnicity and nationality?

What is their full name and does it hold any special meaning?

Do they have nicknames or titles? How did they earn these? How do they feel about them?

What does your character look like?

Do they have any birthmarks or distinguishing features?

Do they have any scars? How did they get these?

Do they have any tattoos? When and why did they get them? Do they mean anything?

What is their primary colour scheme/What colour best represents them?

What element best represents them?

What animal best represents them?

What would the theme for their skin names be?

What would their legendary skin themes be?

What would their Halloween skin be?

What would their Summer Games skin be?

What would one of their emotes be?

What would one of their voicelines be?

What would their achievements be?

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Doomfist.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Genji.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and McCree.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Pharah.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Reaper.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Soldier:76.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Sombra.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Tracer.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Bastion.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Hanzo.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Junkrat.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Mei.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Torbjorn.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Widowmaker.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and D.Va.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Orisa.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Reinhardt.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Roadhog.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Winston.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Zarya.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Ana.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Lucio.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Mercy.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Symmetra.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Zenyatta.

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Overwatch?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Blackwatch?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Volskaya Industries?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Junkers/Junkerstown?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Null Sector?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Vishkar Corporation?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Los Muertos?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Helix Securities?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Shambali?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Australian Liberation Front?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Lumerico?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Omnica Corporation?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Horizon Lunar Colony?

How did the Omnic Crisis affect your character?

What is your character’s opinion of omnics? (or, if an omnic, what is they’re opinion of humans?)

What is your character’s opinion of the older overwatch?

How does/will your character feel about the reformed Overwatch?

Does your character have any relationship with canon characters? What are they like?

Does your character have any family? What is their relationship like?

Does your character have any friends? What is their relationship like?

Does your character have any enemies? What is their relationship like?

Is your character emotional or logical?

What are your character’s hobbies?

If they played d&d what class and race would they pick?

Does your character wear clothes for fashion or practicality?

If they could go back in time and change one thing what would it be?

What do they look for in a partner? (platonic or romantic)

Do they trust easily?

What is their favourite colour?

Do they have any pets or companions?

What’s their favourite music genre?

What do they smell like?

Are they good with children?

Are they good with animals?

Can they cook?

What is their favourite food and/or drink?

[abahwrites]

Overwatch OC Questionnaire

I couldn’t find a questionnaire/question meme for ovw ocs so I made one. Its a mix of in-game and lore/personality stuff with a bunch of repeating question in the middle so enjoy I guess.

Give us a brief introduction of your character.

What is your character’s call sign?

Would your character be offense, defense, tank or support?

What is their gender identity?

What is their sexual orientation?

What is their alignment?

What is your character’s goal(s)?

Describe your character’s weapon(s).

Describe your character’s abilities.

Describe your character’s ult.

Give us a brief overview of your character’s backstory.

What is your characters ethnicity and nationality?

What is their full name and does it hold any special meaning?

Do they have nicknames or titles? How did they earn these? How do they feel about them?

What does your character look like?

Do they have any birthmarks or distinguishing features?

Do they have any scars? How did they get these?

Do they have any tattoos? When and why did they get them? Do they mean anything?

What is their primary colour scheme/What colour best represents them?

What element best represents them?

What animal best represents them?

What would the theme for their skin names be?

What would their legendary skin themes be?

What would their Halloween skin be?

What would their Summer Games skin be?

What would one of their emotes be?

What would one of their voicelines be?

What would their achievements be?

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Doomfist.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Genji.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and McCree.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Pharah.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Reaper.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Soldier:76.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Sombra.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Tracer.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Bastion.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Hanzo.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Junkrat.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Mei.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Torbjorn.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Widowmaker.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and D.Va.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Orisa.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Reinhardt.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Roadhog.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Winston.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Zarya.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Ana.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Lucio.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Mercy.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Symmetra.

Give us an in-game interaction between your character and Zenyatta.

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Overwatch?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Blackwatch?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Volskaya Industries?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Junkers/Junkerstown?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Null Sector?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Vishkar Corporation?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Los Muertos?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Helix Securities?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Shambali?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Australian Liberation Front?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of Lumerico?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Omnica Corporation?

What is your character’s relationship with/opinion of the Horizon Lunar Colony?

How did the Omnic Crisis affect your character?

What is your character’s opinion of omnics? (or, if an omnic, what is they’re opinion of humans?)

What is your character’s opinion of the older overwatch?

How does/will your character feel about the reformed Overwatch?

Does your character have any relationship with canon characters? What are they like?

Does your character have any family? What is their relationship like?

Does your character have any friends? What is their relationship like?

Does your character have any enemies? What is their relationship like?

Is your character emotional or logical?

What are your character’s hobbies?

If they played d&d what class and race would they pick?

Does your character wear clothes for fashion or practicality?

If they could go back in time and change one thing what would it be?

What do they look for in a partner? (platonic or romantic)

Do they trust easily?

What is their favourite colour?

Do they have any pets or companions?

What’s their favourite music genre?

What do they smell like?

Are they good with children?

Are they good with animals?

Can they cook?

What is their favourite food and/or drink?

[abahwrites]

Mermaid Widowmaker in champagne 🥂 This was a fun piece to work on, since I got to experiment with painting glass once again. Overall I’m pretty happy with this piece. :D

[abahwrites]

[abahwrites]

Widow’s Window Reflection

How can a window reflect a phantom’s shadow? I cannot think of an answer to my question.

I have vivid visions of the past as I walked into my Chateau once more. It is dark, damp, cold, and haunting. Remembering everything from the top to the bottom of my heart – lies cold, without a single beat, rotten by time, decayed by day. The chateau once I owned now served nothing more than a silent redemption.

The large halls with tall, engraved pillars decorate so beautifully that whenever you come home at the youngest age of our relationship felt like a battlefield of some sort. These pillars are your favourite place to hide, to seek, and to love me. The beautiful marble floors gave vivid shadows of us, too, where we always joke and to mock each other, romantically. If you could see me cry in the shadow of my own, you’ll see it as rain – heavy rain, pours down from the skies down to my heart, crying for help, crying for forgiveness. This life is not what I choose to live my life.

Whenever I walk through the hall, I wasn’t sure that I see your face in every dusty marble I’ve walked. I once tried to make a silly face to the marbles below me, but the marble never shown any reflection of my phantom, it realises that I am empty – an emptiness in a body bag, a speck of darkness in the light. My emotions that I couldn’t share with myself, now lying in ruins – abandoned and long forgotten. I can’t even laugh at myself, at least smiling towards my silly face.

There’s no need for bullets if words will do. Will do the hate, the separation – the death of a person.

I wasn’t ready for this, no, I was ready – but the cries are not.

Now I’m alone again, with the spiders hanging on the wall, with the rusted frame of an old picture frame of us. I want you to hear me…

I’m crying. I was hoping that in my inevitable death, this is just a dream – a dream that never happened, a nightmare that didn’t even do a thing.

“Are you ready to go back to the base again, chica? It has been thirty minutes.”

The Ballerina glanced briefly before she takes another look at herself on the dusty marble. The hacker took a seat on the table and tried to feel what the Ballerina felt, looking and feeling the same old ground.

“The commander is expecting you to go back as soon as you can, but, to hell with that when you remembered something emotional, ain’t it?” She smiled and grabbed the Ballerina’s shoulder. “What are you thinking right now, chica? Can we share it later on?”

“I am not thinking anything, and I am afraid that I cannot spare the details with you,” she replied. “It was nothing, actually.”

Sombra took a hint. “Is it about your past life, say, Amélie Guillard’s life, yes?”

“I said it was nothing.” She asserted and clenched her fists, ready to punch Sombra.

Sombra shrugged and let the Ballerina calm down a little. She suggested. “We can stay here for an hour for you to tell it all about it, I’ll make sure that the communication systems are offline,” she reached her earpiece. “Commander, this is Sombra, and I’d like to acquire your permission to stay at the chateau for one hour. We will set-up a set of explosives and leave the place immediately.”

Permission granted, Sombra. We’ll see you back at the base.

“Roger that, commander. Over.” Sombra shut down the communication systems and said. “Let’s go, if you want to talk about anything. There’s no one eavesdropping other than me.”

Her eyes widened for a moment, and she immediately closed it.

How can a dusty marble show my face, no, my phantom’s face?

I’m standing on a balcony that once becomes a witness to our warmth – our beautiful wedding. I never thought that an Overwatch operative like you could fell in love to a regular ballerina. Ever since I know and feel love or compassion, I never recognised it as something simple, something you could do with your eyes blindfolded and get it done right away with 100 percent efficiency.

One thing I never get to understand is how you will teach me how to play blues and sometimes playing along with me singing the song you like – even I had to browse and search for the lyrics. Those memories began to fade as I kill another person, but when I came back here, it was all revealed like a revelation of some sort – and I know this is my redemption, my way to seek forgiveness.

It’s not something personal, it’s something we’d share together.

Your acoustic guitar.

Yes, your acoustic guitar.

I never knew that I could smile if I just get a glimpse of your acoustic guitar – which has no relation to your murder and my killings, and everything in between. A long lost love could be this emotional, no? It’s for me to find out and your guitar is my redemption.

I don’t understand why the dust didn’t cover your guitar and rust the strings, but one thing I do know is that you loved that guitar’s curve than my buttocks when I wore my favourite black lingerie and drink wine with you. I know it’s tempting you to have a romantic “affair” with me, but you seem to focus on blues than butts.

Now the Emotionless shows her feelings once more – even in this form, a sense couldn’t be stripped away from humanity as we seek redemption for the things we did, and it’s an inevitable one. Your ashes will always here. I’ll make sure to tell everyone that this place is haunted.

Plagued by our past lives, our memories, and our feelings.

Let them know that even in death – we’re still married.

“Sombra, can you grab that guitar for me?” the French Ballerina asked.

Sombra zapped to the end of the hall. “Right away, mademoiselle,” she zapped back. “Here’s your guitar, mademoiselle, should you requested it.”

“Sombra?” the Frenchwoman called, glanced to Sombra who can’t stand her tiredness.

“Yes, Widowmaker?” she replied and smiled like a sleepy drunkard.

“You may sleep for a while here,” she pointed at the sofa. “I’m sure that sofa is tempting you.”

Sombra sighed and walks soullessly to the couch. “Mon Ami, you don’t know how tempted I am to put my back and my butt at the same time on that couch,” she thanked. “Gracias.”

She strummed and played a set of power chords. “You’re welcome, Sombra.”

The only thing I always want to ask is how love works. Many will say strangely.

And yes, it strangely did work.

It did work strangely. For the Lacroix.

“Melancholic widow with blues and an acoustic guitar is a happy widower.”

She played the blues all night, the night accompanied her as people cheered that France has just won the World Cup.

[abahwrites]

Writing Tip: Don’t Be Afraid of Mixing Dialogue and Action

So I’ve been reading a lot of amateur writing lately, and I’ve noticed what seems to be a common problem: dialogue. 

Tell me if this looks familiar. You start writing a conversation, only to look down and realize it reads like: 

“I’m talking now,” he said. 

“Yes, I noticed,” she said. 

“I have nothing much to add to this conversation,” the third person said. 

And it grates on your ears. So much ‘said.’ It looks awful! It sounds repetitive. So, naturally, you try to shake it up a bit: 

“Is this any better?” He inquired. 

“I’m not sure,” she mused. 

“I definitely think so!” that other guy roared. 

This is not an improvement. This is worse. 

Now your dialogue is just as disjointed as it was before, but you have the added problem of a bunch of distracting dialogue verbs that can have an unintentionally comedic effect. 

So here’s how you avoid it: You mix up the dialogue with description. 

“Isn’t this better?” He asked, leaning forward in his seat. “Don’t you feel like we’re more grounded in reality?” 

She nodded, looking down at her freshly manicured nails. “I don’t feel like a talking head anymore.” 

“Right!” That annoying third guy added. “And now you can get some characterization crammed into the dialogue!” 

The rules of dialogue punctuation are as follows: 

Each speaker gets his/her own paragraph - when the speaker changes, you start a new paragraph. 

Within the speaker’s own paragraph, you can include action, interior thoughts, description, etc. 

You can interrupt dialogue in the middle to put in a “said” tag, and then write more dialogue from that same speaker. 

You can put the “said” tag at the beginning or end of the sentence. 

Once you’ve established which characters are talking, you don’t need a “said” tag every time they speak. 

Some more examples: 

“If you’re writing an incomplete thought,” he said, “you put a comma, then the quote mark, then the dialogue tag.” 

“If the sentence ends, you put in a period.” She pointed at the previous sentence. “See? Complete sentences.” 

“You can also replace the dialogue tag with action.” Extra guy yawned. “When you do, you use a period instead of a comma.”

So what do you do with this newfound power? I’m glad you asked. 

You can provide description of the character and their surroundings in order to orient them in time and space while talking. 

You can reveal characterization through body language and other nonverbal cues that will add more dimension to your dialogue. 

You can add interior thoughts for your POV character between lines of dialogue - especially helpful when they’re not saying quite what they mean. 

You can control pacing. Lines of dialogue interrupted by descriptions convey a slower-paced conversation. Lines delivered with just a “said” tag, or with no dialogue tag at all, convey a more rapid-fire conversation. 

For example: 

“We’ve been talking about dialogue for a while,” he said, shifting in his seat as though uncomfortable with sitting still. 

“We sure have,” she agreed. She rose from her chair, stretching. “Shall we go, then?” 

“I think we should.” 

“Great. Let’s get out of here.” 

By controlling the pacing, you can establish mood and help guide your reader along to understanding what it is that you’re doing. 

I hope this helps you write better dialogue! If you have questions, don’t hesitate to drop me an ask :)

[abahwrites]

Mexican Cough Syrup - Part II

Having pieces of knowledge here and there doesn’t make her any smarter, as she said before to herself, this shape is not of her choosing. When the day feels like heaven, she will take a walk with Sombra to the nearest public library. Spanning more than 150 meters of catalogued collection from the past, present, and future in one shelf to another, it was something that works like a drug, and the Emotionless has got herself befuddled in books. Eighteen engraved pillars decorated the library, and carved shelves made the library feels haunting and calm. The windows are dusty enough to let the sunlight makes rays of light inside the library. It is a fact that the library is a source of everything and is a place to escape reality at its best, many will agree and some will have their best opinions, and even a handful of people will academically argue that to read a book is to getting lost in it.

From pillars and its large halls that haunts like an ancient ghost looking for answers unanswered, there lies three to four paintings hanging on each side, gave the library an old feeling, a sense of the past that can help the Emotionless felt. With ska songs playing on the Emotionless head and echoed through her mind, it was not the best feeling she can never have, but it was something astoundingly straight out of the movies. She approached the librarian’s desk and asked for directions to shelves dedicated for literary, although all considered as literary, the Emotionless felt that writing and reading novels are her Nature’s Call.

Sombra’s eyes widened. “Quite a big library,” she looked around and opened her mouth in amazement. “I haven’t seen one big bookstore in Mexico that has the same size with this.”

Widowmaker replied. “It is a delightful compliment for this library, Sombra,” she continued. “I never had the chance to stroll around here since I was very busy with my ballet career, now I can visit this place, maybe I will die in peace. I don’t like to read at first, and it’s one of the most monotonous things I’ve ever done,” she continued and lowered her tone followed by a sigh. “I realise that I waste my time on ballet as a career than to write as a hobby. Ever since I read a book called “The Call of the Wild: The Adventures of Senor Gregorio,” now I know there’s a place to escape my killing contracts. It was a good read, and the book was light.”

Sombra frowned. “Aren’t books are all light?”

Widowmaker smiled. “Sorry to make that statement felt unclear to you, Sombra, by “light” I mean it was not hard to read, and the language the writer used to deliver the story is at the same level as a light novel."

“Why is it at the same standard of a light novel?"

“The words that create the book is something I can feel, despite being emotionless for the rest of my life.”

Sombra folded her hands. “So, your feelings are now coming back, huh?”

“As I observe from Talon’s Neurological Research Lab, yes,” Widowmaker beamed. “And it’s declining.”

“Do they have an intention to restore to what you are? Say… 100% Widowmaker?”

She giggled. “I’m afraid not, Mon Ami,” she winked. “Let’s read a book, shall we?”

Sombra’s stopped. “Hold on, Widowmaker,” she confessed. “I think I’d go lesbian with you.”

Widowmaker gave another flirtatious wink. “Oh, is that so?”

Sombra threw a tantrum and blushing. “Stop winking at me, you filthy French whore!”

[abahwrites]

“Oh, Kraken,” yelled Red. “Mate, I got one for ya!”

“A fishy pun?” asked Kraken, grabbing a pen and paper.

“Yeah, it’s a good one,” said Red. “It’s about a fish with amnesia.”

“Right,” said Kraken.

“I’ve forgotten how it goes…” grinned Red.

“Oh no,” sighed Kraken.

LittleFears.co.uk