argylemnwrites

[argylemnwrites]

Alright, last call! Will be purging the tag lists when I (fingers crossed) post next week

WIP Abandoned No More Tag List Clean Up

Alright, thought I'd be back posting in November, but election results in my country left me not wanting to write about anything political or related to reproductive choices/family planning. But, now that the sting has faded to a dull ache of inevitability, I figure I might as well dive back in.

Given that it has been years since I posted, I figure a tag list clean up is warranted. Apologies, this seems like my most recent list, but I could be very mistaken. As usual, this will be opt in. If I don't hear from you by December 3rd, I will take you off my tag list(s). A like means "leave me where I am."

All Choices: @forallthatitsworth @mom2000aggie @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14

TRR/TRH: @motorcitymademadame @iplaydrake @princessleac1 @twinkleallnight @marshmallowsandfire

@axwalker @sirbeepsalot @iaminlovewithtrr @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @hedgehogs-dilemmas

Drake x MC: @rubiwalker @walkerdrakewalker @petiteboheme @mskaneko

ICWAM: @sunnyxdazed

FoF: @burnsoslow @monstercyclops

OH:  @mskaneko

Bryce x MC: empty

ROD: @burnsoslow @mskaneko @brightpinkpeppercorn

Logan x MC: @iplaydrake

Colt x MC: empty

RCD: empty

Seth x MC: empty

MOTY: empty

Levi x MC: empty

Blades: @marshmallowsandfire

Mal x MC: @brightpinkpeppercorn

TF series: empty

James x MC: empty

TWC: @burnsoslow @agentnatesewell

Nate x f!detective: empty

Mind Blind: @burnsoslow

Grayson x f!button: empty

[argylemnwrites]

WIP Abandoned No More Tag List Clean Up

Alright, thought I'd be back posting in November, but election results in my country left me not wanting to write about anything political or related to reproductive choices/family planning. But, now that the sting has faded to a dull ache of inevitability, I figure I might as well dive back in.

Given that it has been years since I posted, I figure a tag list clean up is warranted. Apologies, this seems like my most recent list, but I could be very mistaken. As usual, this will be opt in. If I don't hear from you by December 3rd, I will take you off my tag list(s). A like means "leave me where I am."

All Choices: @forallthatitsworth @mom2000aggie @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14

TRR/TRH: @motorcitymademadame @iplaydrake @princessleac1 @twinkleallnight @marshmallowsandfire

@axwalker @sirbeepsalot @iaminlovewithtrr @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @hedgehogs-dilemmas

Drake x MC: @rubiwalker @walkerdrakewalker @petiteboheme @mskaneko

ICWAM: @sunnyxdazed

FoF: @burnsoslow @monstercyclops

OH:  @mskaneko

Bryce x MC: empty

ROD: @burnsoslow @mskaneko @brightpinkpeppercorn

Logan x MC: @iplaydrake

Colt x MC: empty

RCD: empty

Seth x MC: empty

MOTY: empty

Levi x MC: empty

Blades: @marshmallowsandfire

Mal x MC: @brightpinkpeppercorn

TF series: empty

James x MC: empty

TWC: @burnsoslow @agentnatesewell

Nate x f!detective: empty

Mind Blind: @burnsoslow

Grayson x f!button: empty

[argylemnwrites]

Alright, the consensus seems to be Fight or Flight first, mixed bag on everything else. I've dove back into some writing, and I'm hopeful to be back posting next month (so tag list clean up post coming soon!)

Since there are far more chapters of Fight or Flight left compared to Why Are We Still Waiting?, I will likely do a 3:1 ratio of posting, or something like that as I am eager to get back into both those universes and don't want to wait months and months for WAWSW. A somewhat realistic goal at this point is two new chapters a month.

Thanks for the love - it's good to be writing again!

Anyone Still Here?

So... it's been a while. I had a baby. I traveled with her internationally for a wedding. She turned one. I built a house and moved into it. I had a dental emergency a few days before my closing. Everything in the new house is now toddler proofed... until she thinks of a new way to get into a dangerous situation. I think that many life events safely defines my hiatus as "extended."

The Choices fandom is, I'm guessing, dying. I've not been on Tumblr or even the Choices subreddit with any regularity in over a year at this point, so I don't know this as a fact, but I have my suspicions. The mass culling of PB staff, the acquisition of PB by an AI company, former talent from PB starting a competing app would tend to indicate trouble on its own.

But a dying fandom is one that is more worth coming back to, though. I firmly believe that. When the original content is floundering, when fan engagement is dropping, that is the time that fan works matter the most. So, knowing that my readership is likely going to be non-existent and that my series have probably been written off as dead for quite some time, I'm looking to come back.

I've been "writing" in my mind on my commute again lately. Found myself missing engaging with these characters. Most of all, I want to finish my current WIPs. I don't know if literally anyone who was reading them before is still around. But if anyone is, I want to know if you have preferences about how I go about tackling finishing up my two unfinished TRR canon divergent series - Why Are We Still Waiting? and Fight or Flight. (And yes, I still remember how they both end, hahaha)

Not sure there are enough people to warrant true polls, so just going to post this here:

Do you prefer that I alternate between my two ongoing series, or is tackling one first, then moving on to the other preferable? If the latter, any preference on which series I start with?

Do you prefer I post as I have a chapter done without any regular schedule, or would waiting longer for me to finish the series so I am able to guarantee posting dates be better?

Would links to AO3 be acceptable if I find myself getting annoyed with Tumblr formatting, or will you only read on Tumblr itself?

If you have opinions, I want to hear them. If you've left the fandom, I hope life is treating you kindly and don't worry, I'll be posting a tag list clean up post before I start posting any writing again so you won't get spammed. If you've straight up forgotten who I am, no worries. It's been ages. Trying to find my most recent tag list is a joke at this point. I think this is my "up to date" version for my TTR stuff at least, but sorry in advance if you either should or shouldn't be included and weren't/were respectively.

Perma: @forallthatitsworth @mom2000aggie @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14

TRR/TRH: @motorcitymademadame @iplaydrake @princessleac1 @twinkleallnight @marshmallowsandfire

@axwalker @sirbeepsalot @iaminlovewithtrr @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @hedgehogs-dilemmas

Drake x MC: @rubiwalker @walkerdrakewalker @petiteboheme @mskaneko

ICWAM: @sunnyxdazed

FoF: @burnsoslow @monstercyclops

[argylemnwrites]

I adore this collection of photos - a perfect blend of playful and sexy. So wonderful to see this series again!

|From Drake Walker’s Phone - Alexis O’Brien|

@axwalker ‘s girl

Permatag:

@axwalker @burnsoslow

@kat-tia801 @petiteboheme @karahalloway @deb-1106 @forallthatitsworth @twinkleallnight @walkerdrakewalker @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @marshmallowsandfire

TRR

@kingliam2019

@princessleac1 @theroyalheirshadowhunter @drakexwillow

Moodboards

@argylemnwrites

[argylemnwrites]

Oh, this is gorgeous, too!

|From Drake Walker’s Phone|

Permatag:

@axwalker @burnsoslow

@kat-tia801 @petiteboheme @karahalloway @deb-1106 @forallthatitsworth @twinkleallnight @walkerdrakewalker @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @marshmallowsandfire @drakexwillow

TRR

@kingliam2019

@princessleac1 @theroyalheirshadowhunter

Moodboards

@argylemnwrites

[argylemnwrites]

Beautiful fall vibes here! So happy to see more lovely creations from you!

|Life Lately - Drake&MC|🧡🍁

Permatag:

@axwalker @burnsoslow

@kat-tia801 @petiteboheme @karahalloway @deb-1106 @forallthatitsworth @twinkleallnight @walkerdrakewalker @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @marshmallowsandfire

TRR

@kingliam2019

@princessleac1 @theroyalheirshadowhunter

Moodboards

@argylemnwrites

This taglist is from 100 years ago, so sorry if anyone didn't want to be taged ! If you want to be removed, please let me know!

[argylemnwrites]

Anyone Still Here?

So... it's been a while. I had a baby. I traveled with her internationally for a wedding. She turned one. I built a house and moved into it. I had a dental emergency a few days before my closing. Everything in the new house is now toddler proofed... until she thinks of a new way to get into a dangerous situation. I think that many life events safely defines my hiatus as "extended."

The Choices fandom is, I'm guessing, dying. I've not been on Tumblr or even the Choices subreddit with any regularity in over a year at this point, so I don't know this as a fact, but I have my suspicions. The mass culling of PB staff, the acquisition of PB by an AI company, former talent from PB starting a competing app would tend to indicate trouble on its own.

But a dying fandom is one that is more worth coming back to, though. I firmly believe that. When the original content is floundering, when fan engagement is dropping, that is the time that fan works matter the most. So, knowing that my readership is likely going to be non-existent and that my series have probably been written off as dead for quite some time, I'm looking to come back.

I've been "writing" in my mind on my commute again lately. Found myself missing engaging with these characters. Most of all, I want to finish my current WIPs. I don't know if literally anyone who was reading them before is still around. But if anyone is, I want to know if you have preferences about how I go about tackling finishing up my two unfinished TRR canon divergent series - Why Are We Still Waiting? and Fight or Flight. (And yes, I still remember how they both end, hahaha)

Not sure there are enough people to warrant true polls, so just going to post this here:

Do you prefer that I alternate between my two ongoing series, or is tackling one first, then moving on to the other preferable? If the latter, any preference on which series I start with?

Do you prefer I post as I have a chapter done without any regular schedule, or would waiting longer for me to finish the series so I am able to guarantee posting dates be better?

Would links to AO3 be acceptable if I find myself getting annoyed with Tumblr formatting, or will you only read on Tumblr itself?

If you have opinions, I want to hear them. If you've left the fandom, I hope life is treating you kindly and don't worry, I'll be posting a tag list clean up post before I start posting any writing again so you won't get spammed. If you've straight up forgotten who I am, no worries. It's been ages. Trying to find my most recent tag list is a joke at this point. I think this is my "up to date" version for my TTR stuff at least, but sorry in advance if you either should or shouldn't be included and weren't/were respectively.

Perma: @forallthatitsworth @mom2000aggie @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14

TRR/TRH: @motorcitymademadame @iplaydrake @princessleac1 @twinkleallnight @marshmallowsandfire

@axwalker @sirbeepsalot @iaminlovewithtrr @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @hedgehogs-dilemmas

Drake x MC: @rubiwalker @walkerdrakewalker @petiteboheme @mskaneko

ICWAM: @sunnyxdazed

FoF: @burnsoslow @monstercyclops

[argylemnwrites]

okay so the n route has been bothering me ever since i played it and i needed to air my frustrations out as a way to cope i suppose

for reference my main detective who i use for n is felicity, but sometimes i also use arabella to test out some options i wouldn't normally pick and just to see how the romance works with a detective that isn't exactly that compatible with n. so when i first played, i used felicity and then later on when i was doing a deep dive into the romance and the plot, i was using arabella just to see if certain things held up yk! and lord how i wish it did LMFAO

just a little disclaimer that this is all just my opinion and i'm willing to listen to other points of view about this! and i do not mean any of what i say as a dig or to be hateful toward n, they are my favorite li in twc and the fact that i love their romance and their character so much is probably most if not all of the reason why their route in book 3 was so weird to me, and why i make the critiques that i do.

under the cut because this is a doozy and also book 3 spoilers

first of all the main thing in the demo chapters is that n gets mad if you try and fight the trappers bc they are so scared of losing you and like i GUESS i get it but this is literally our life now you're just gonna have to get used to it. and this wouldn't have even been an big issue for me if it was properly addressed! when i played using arabella i tried being mad, i tried staying mad, and it kept getting swept under the rug by the plot. like are we seriously not going to talk about this??? at all?????? and it seems very ooc for n NOT to say anything about it when you get a moment alone because why would they not address it, ESPECIALLY if your mc was still upset over it. AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE IN A RELATIONSHIP LIKE- these things need to be discussed in order to grow as a couple and there needs to be healthy communication or else this is not going to work. like you're telling me we were living with unit bravo for WEEKS and this shit just never got brought up again?

this also ties into my next gripe- n's backstory. so, if you snooped in the demo they won't tell you anything, which okay. mc shouldn't have done that, sure, but n doesn't even give a reason as to why they're upset by that. obviously you can be like "well i think anyone would be upset if you delved into their past without their knowledge or permission" but YOU ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS PERSON WHY IS THERE NO COMMUNICATION OF FEELINGS. i would have appreciated that scene a hell of a lot more if n sat you down and was like "i'm upset that you did this, here's why," but all they do is get sad and then that's it. when i played as arabella i had her snoop AND get upset over the argument during the trapper fight, and n said something along the lines of "i know sometimes we regret doing things" as a reference to snooping AND the argument which??? just does NOT hold up at all and had me irritated as hell.

if you didn't snoop in the demo, n takes you to their room and shows you a picture of their family and talks about them and how his brother joined the navy and didn't come back (their brother was killed by vampires) and that's why they decided to join the navy, as a way to try and figure out what actually happened. this scene started off great, but it's cut short way too quickly because n drops the photo and the frame breaks. and then they basically just shoo you out. there's really not any option to comfort them, and the option that is there is not good enough. and it's not that n had to tell us EVERYTHING in that one scene, but it's more so the fact that it NEVER gets brought up again. your mc can't take a moment to bring it up and n sure as hell doesn't say anything else about it. which is so ?????? im sorry you supposedly love this person (im saying this for both mc and n) and yet neither of you address it again??? it makes no sense at all.

onto the research/combat scene… i've done the combat scene once so i can't really speak on that as much as the research one so. most of the research scene is fine aside from the fact if you're not in a relationship (which i did for one playthrough with felicity) n brings up bobby if you dated them which felt so bizarre but anyways. the option to realize you love n… i would love this IF the option where you tell n you love them actually mattered. LMFAO if you tell n you love them they literally just stare at you and then the sex scene pops up. like are you kidding me??? n would not just leave you hanging like that even if it was just to say that they don't feel that way yet. and the sex scene itself is… fine i suppose but it doesn't feel as intimate as it should be. there's little to no dialogue and it just feels so weird to read. like why would neither of you be saying anything?? not to mention the fact that you're literally OUTSIDE of the warehouse where any of ub could see you at any point it just feels wrong to have sex at that point at least in my opinion. and the talk after feels so short and weird i feel like both the detective and n would have more to say. and that moment is quickly brushed away by the plot.

i guess the next plot line is whether u told tina or verda or nobody about the supernatural. going into book 3 this was probably what i looked forward to the most and ofc it barely delivered. i liked seeing tina and n interact but that quickly turned sour for me, not because tina started rightfully bringing up how much mc has been through, but because n really does not do anything with that pov being voiced to them, which is so fucking ooc it pains me. when they go to talk to mc after their conversation there's no discussion just "i wanted to see you" okay but WHY did you? i would have taken a li pov of what tina relayed to them literally anything! and it's just another thing that gets swept under the rug because of the stupid ass plot.

another thing about the dinner that gets lost in the plot of book 3: tina/verda bringing up your li possibly drinking your blood and mc can react a number of different ways and i wish it had been talked about more than just in that moment 😭

the only scene that i genuinely enjoyed in all of n's route was after that building caves in on mc and you're back at the warehouse traumatized and bruised and defeated. n runs you a bath and if you pick that option helps you out of your clothes and then helps you settle into bed. i wish there had been more discussion of anything in that scene but mc was so out of it i was okay with no talking. and then redacted petname <3 the other thing i was most looking forward to! one thing i did dislike about this scene though was that we didn't really get a glimpse on how n was feeling yk usually mishka offers the li's pov on a scene and not having that made that moment not feel as rounded out.

the pool scene… first of all why did n get this one. like it would have made sense for m, hell even a! and again the scene felt so shallow and then the option to have sex. you're telling me your first time with n can be on a fucking pool table???? that is so not their vibe AT ALL and it feels so weird to even have that there. it was unnecessary as well as the other opportunity to have sex and i feel like mishka just put them in there as like fan service when who (in my opinion) genuinely wants this if they romance n and have them as their main route. i had hoped the first time n and mc have the opportunity to have sex it would be a more intimate setting because that's more fitting for them and my nate mc, felicity. but nope! and then the scene gets cut short because n has to go on patrol??? and again the sex scene itself … neither of them feel personable it's like a "one size fits all" type of approach and that just does not work if this is supposed to be interactive fiction where we create a personality for our mc's that cannot fit this specific mold mishka wants to put everyone in.

being invited to what might as well just be a fucking slave trade (i have many thoughts about this auction plotline as well but for now im discussing n's route) had me so confused because why would mishka even do that and then n's comment about the stationary? i need you to be fucking for real. the scene before you leave for the mission with n just felt so weird like we get it n is protective of mc but at this point it just felt like a hinderance which sucks because one of the things i love most about n is their deep care for mc and they just sounded like a broken record and it annoyed me so bad.

after all that, the scene when you come back and n is in tears confessing their love for mc i wanted to enjoy it i really did and i just could not upon replaying because it feels so unbelievably hollow. we have not discussed anything pertaining our relationship and when there are things that need to be discussed they are so underwhelming it's hard to even care. there are a handful of things n and mc both need to work on in order for this relationship to work and the fact that they're not being addressed makes it difficult for me to enjoy anything about this route. you can't even tell n you love them back for fuck's sake like hello.

a theme that i did not think was going to be as prominent as it was in this book but n contemplating mc turning into a vampire and AGAIN there wasn't ever really a discussion about this between mc and n and i feel like this will come to a head as the books progress but i don't think it fit into book 3 considering so many other things were being thrown at us.

all in all i truly desperately wanted to enjoy book 3 and enjoy being with n but i cannot when there are so many things ignored, sidelined, or just completely forgotten in order to push the plot forward.

[argylemnwrites]

now that I've had a couple of days to go through SEVERAL stages of mental illness about book 3, I have…Some Thoughts. about the book in general and specifically about N's route, as so far that's the only one in which I've gone through most (if not all) of the interaction variations (yes, I have approximately 83253 tabs open rn. I told y'all I'm being very unwell about this). I've played through M's route several times so far too, but there were fewer standout "wait, what?" moments for me in that route tbh 🥴

below the cut: the peer review nobody asked for! (and my sincerest apologies lmao)

I really need Mishka to hire professional copy editors for these books, y'all. There are grammar/syntax errors that just. shouldn't be there. (and I don't even mean the nitpicky ones that I'm super anal about! I mean ones like using 'stationary' when you mean 'stationery'.)

somewhat related to the above bullet, I hope the testing period for book 4 is a lot longer than it was for book 3. there are some inconsistencies in the narrative that I suspect would have been caught if there'd been more time between the beta testing and the book being sent to HG.

for example, if you trigger the sex scene options in N's combat route, there is at least one errant reference to the feel of denim when like. you're both in workout clothes (and there is significant time spent describing both N's and the MC's outfits!). ALSO, when you go back inside for the debriefing with UB, F & M tease N about their jeans being unzipped when, again: there were no jeans or zippers involved. It's a funny scene after the equivalent research options, but it makes no sense post-combat ones without editing for attire differences.

while I'm thinking about the research scene on N's route, the fact that the MC can confess their love and N flat out says NOTHING in response??? just immediately jumps to gettin' busy despite the MC explicitly asking them to say something in response??? what will probably be Holland's canon route is fine, because the combat path has a "scared by own feelings" choice and you know homegirl immediately tried to yeet herself out of that potential conversation bc they've been dating for all of 30 seconds at this point. BUT knowing that that path was fine bc it happened to fit my OC honestly just made me more annoyed for anyone playing with a different/more emotionally mature/open detective. because going through the "i love you" options in the research scene especially were disappointing.

again, related to the above, the narrative inconsistencies (and the bulky plot) made the pacing often feel inconsistent. there were so many moving pieces and story beats that a lot of scenes felt either rushed (without seeming like that pace was tonally/narratively appropriate) or unnecessarily truncated. I also felt like there were a lot of points of abrupt info-dumping that was clearly meant to give background info on UB/other characters/plotpoints but ended up feeling inorganic/unnatural in terms of actual relationship-building. or, alternatively, like it was meant to build to a resolution point later in the book that just never happened.

for example: the whole post-Unit Victor scene where your LI shares some of their past with you. It didn't feel quite as abrupt/odd in my M route playthroughs, but the flow was JARRING for me in N's. And the abrupt end to that scene is never revisited. like, I understand the conversation maybe not coming up again, but for neither of them to even linger on what were presumably heavy emotional topics or think about it again at what could have been relevant points throughout the book seemed to dilute what I assume was meant to be an important scene.

speaking of things that are basically not revisited when they really should be, if N's overprotectiveness is going to continue to be a defining trait and the MC can continue to be explicitly bothered by it, I am begging for book 4 to let them have an uninterrupted, private conversation about it - particularly after the whole "I don't know how this is going to work" scene after the auction. because if this is how it already is and there are 4 more books, their relationship is going to be so (much more) unhealthy.

a more positive note! I did think it was ~interesting to see the juxtaposition of N's constant over-the-top "romantic gestures/sentiments" schtick against the responses you can get when you invite them to dinner but choose either the "you don't have to go if you would be uncomfortable" or "I'll call it off if you're not feeling it" option. with the former, N's response is that relationships are doing things for the other person/doing things they want to do, and they seem genuinely baffled when the detective immediately disagrees. with the latter, they seem equally surprised at the detective's willingness to ditch dinner for them. it's a brief thing, but both of their potential responses give the impression that N's perception of those statements is disproportionate to their actual significance. I mean. it's a dinner party that the detective almost forgot about entirely. clearly they don't give a shit about rescheduling/going alone. moreover, towards the end of the book, N explicitly worries about not "being enough" for the MC. for whatever reason, N clearly seems to think they're like, constantly on the verge of losing the detective in a different way than they worry about losing them to the neverending string of external threats, and I do hope it's meant to be the foreshadowing I think it is.

[argylemnwrites]

Sorry In Advance

I might have to find time to write over the upcoming days/weeks (when, I don’t know but that’s a problem for future me to solve) not to finally come back to my Choices WIPs that are just sitting, collecting dust in the corner, but because I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about Wayhaven Book 3 that I need to work through. They aren’t all good, they aren’t all bad, but I definitely feel some of each. (Some TWC Book 3 spoilers for N route below the cut)

The N route is the only one I’ve had a chance to explore even a bit, and it was definitely a mixed bag for me in ways that I was not expecting. Looking at things from an analytical perspective, I think at least 80% of my issues stem from pacing concerns, and I am trying to figure out how much of that stems from the overall sheer volume of content that was attempted with various branches from previous decisions coming into play and how much is just due to my N detective’s personality. I think most of it is the former - even big plot-centric moments felt hurried and frantic to me. The blood drive, the kidnappings, the auction all just zipped by without time to process, let moments develop, or allow for anticipation and dread. I sometimes felt like I blinked and missed massive events. The fallout out for major beats often felt incredibly glossed over. Nothing really had time to breathe.

That sensation definitely was felt in the N romance for me as well. (I use Nate, so from here on out, I will often be using he/him pronouns since that is the story line I experienced.) For a romance that before seemed like this wonderful blend of pure intensity and quiet gentleness, I honestly felt overwhelmed as Nate and my detective, Emma, bounced aggressively through major relationship moments. First, they fought, but the narrative never let them sit with that tension. It resolved quickly so that he could begin to trust her with his backstory (a scene that ended so jarringly, I wondered if I had failed a stat check - he drops the picture of his family, sends Emma on her way, and she just goes? In the middle of everything? She doesn’t stay to make sure he’s okay, even if he cannot share anymore of his past at that moment?). This set the tempo for everything else. Both potential intimate scenes just happen without much fanfare, which I probably would have adored if there had been more of a build up of romantic and/or sexual tension in the scenes leading up to those moments (although I will say, the start of the research picnic was wonderful and gentle and beautiful, and the pool table scene worked better from a pacing standpoint when I chose to have my detective cool things off at the picnic). I actually think that N and my detective impulsively giving in for their first time having sex could have been a lovely contrast from their usual selves and could convey a real intensity of emotion. But the build up and actual scenes themselves just flew by. Again, nothing had time to breathe.

This was most evident with the love declarations. My detective, with her near 80 stoicism stat, would not be able to vocalize that she loves Nate right after realizing it. So, I had her keep that realization to herself. But at the end, when Nate is in tears over his fears and worries about losing her and tells her it’s all because of how much he loves her, it was very awkward to not even have the option for my detective to at that point express that those feelings are mutual. From what I can tell, there is no way to get mutual love declarations between N and the detective. When I tried out having my detective blurt out her feelings at the picnic, Nate said nothing in response. No matter who states their love first, N or detective, the feelings just hang there without verbal reciprocation, or even the option for that reciprocation if N goes first. Hell, my detective didn’t even take a shot during Never Have I Ever for falling for a colleague regardless of whether or not she verbalized her feelings.

I realized this has quickly turned into a long-winded rant, which was not my goal. Like I said, I have a lot of swirling, mixed feelings about Book 3 as a whole, and there was plenty I adored. N’s pet name reveal scene was glorious, particularly if the detective has not yet been intimate with them. The ongoing tension about N wanting to protect the detective (from both outside threats and themselves in certain respects) and worrying about the detective’s coping (shout out for Tina’s protective talk with a clear bonus blurb because my detective is so wildly stoic) feels organic for this romance. The blood stuff, both at the Tina dinner and from N’s POV towards the end hinted at future tension in a very natural and captivating way. M is my detective’s BFF, and there was a lot to love about that dynamic, as well as the friendship still growing with A and F, all leading to some very beautiful found family moments. Even with very minimal exploration, I can tell that the auction climax can play out in a ton of different ways, and knowing my M, F, and A detectives, I’m guessing I will end up settling on four different outcomes that feel “right” for each route. That is nothing to scoff at. And while the Rebecca stuff still feels like it wants to push you to forgive her, the narrative acknowledged that my detective’s relationship with her is slowly but surely deteriorating under the weight of Rebecca’s continued secrets and those two women having very different opinions of the Agency. It is always nice in IF when more complex relationship dynamics are acknowledged. I just wish I had more time to really sit with some of these moments before the narrative was barrelling full steam ahead.

Some of my pacing issues do likely arise from my detective’s stoicism. But even ignoring that element, I do wish there was more time in the narrative for aftermath of many major moments. Whether or not Elidor had to “save” my detective from donating blood, there isn’t really any acknowledgement from the team. The kidnappings would have been even more impactful if they weren’t just mentioned in passing so much of the time. And I desperately needed more post-auction content - from Rebecca, from the rest of Unit Bravo, and of course from N.

I don’t know, that was a wild ramble with no clear point. It was so long-winded, and I didn’t even get around to talking about how I’m sad our detective is no longer a detective. Hopefully, I will have some time to write soon, because writing fic helps me sort through conflicted feelings about media I adore (and I do still fully adore one N Sewell)

[argylemnwrites]

Hi :-)

Stopping by to wish you a very happy birthday and only the best of the best on your next chapter in life ✿⁠ 

I hope you're staying healthy and happy there ♡

Thank you so much, my friend! Today was a lovely day!

[argylemnwrites]

Playoffs? Don’t Talk About The Playoffs! Playoffs?!

All my appreciation to @bayleedrawsx​ for the rapid turnaround on this wonderful piece! I completely adore it!

I know that RCD is a long-dead part of the fandom, but something about having both my Vikings and the Bengals in the playoffs this year left me wanting to “check in” on Seth and Jessica, so to speak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That’s a hold! How’d they miss that?”

“Iowa, you’re just looking for excuses. We both know that my team is the one that actually has a chance at the Superbowl.”

“We’ve got more wins! Same record essentially.”

“With a negative point differential. Just wait until-”

“Seth Parker-Levine, you are the most annoying fair weather fan I’ve ever met! You barely even liked football before last season. Now you’re talking about point differentials like you understand anything about this sport.”

“You’re just deflecting.”

“Try sticking with a team through a 3 and 13 season, then you can attempt to trash talk me. Not after deciding you actually do care about your hometown team right after a Superbowl appearance.”

“Nah, I’m good. The Bengals still have enough of that underdog spirit left.”

“But you don’t get to retroactively claim any of that spirit!”

“I thought we’d decided we were both going to cheer for the Vikings and the Bengals unless they both made the Superbowl.”

“You started this whole debate!”

“Only because you take this all way too seriously. It’s my job as your husband to lighten the mood when the Vikings are playing. Otherwise, this season would have given you insane blood pressure issues.”

“No, that was last year. I’m fine when we’re winning the close games.”

“Really? That’s the word you’re using? ‘Fine?’”

“Yes, so save any lightening the mood for the losses.”

“I’m honored to hear my efforts are that successful.”

“Well, they serve as a good distraction from the inevitable agony at the very least.”

“I’ll take it, Iowa. I’ll take it.”

[argylemnwrites]

Emergency art commissions

Chibi

Simple backgrounds (filled in circle/ page or gradients) are free. 

More complex backgrounds (A fully fledged out scenery) are +5 

minimalist chibi

£5 per character

Simple backgrounds = free / £5 for a more complex background

Theres plenty of examples of both of these styles on my blog

other information

It typically takes me anywhere for 2-5 days to complete a drawing  but would let know if there was to change for any reason. I typically take payment after conforming with you that the sketch if okay. 

If you’re interested/ or have any questions DM me or email me at bayleewheels@gmail.com. 

Payments will be through PayPal (My currency is GBP £)

—- Honestly things are not great right now. We’ve just lost my families main source of income- which has royally screwed us all of over yet again so I’m frankly out of options so doing more commissions is the only other thing I can think of doing. Most of the adults in my family, including myself are working but frankly it’s not enough to cover anything.

[argylemnwrites]

So, it’s been a while...

I’ve been very silent here for a few months. Oops. But... I’ve been working on something that’s been taking a big amount of my energy...

This baby is very wanted and planned, but she has left me exhausted (and nauseous) all the damn time! Oh well, I figure she's an understandable reason for a prolonged, unannounced hiatus, hahaha.

But as I progress through this pregnancy and find my energy slowly returning, I am planning on getting some writing done. Probably won't start posting either of my multi-chapter fics until January, but hopefully I'll get a few one shots out for the holidays. I'll also do a tag list cleanup over the coming weeks since it's been so long (and I fully expect many of you have lost interest, hahaha)

Just thought I'd check back in. It's been a while, but my fics aren't dead yet!

[argylemnwrites]

When med students apply to hospitals for residency, how far away do they end up going? Like, across the country or only 4 states over?

It varies greatly. Some med students end up staying where they did med school. Others move all the way across the country. Many fall somewhere in between. Really, it comes down to a few factors:

How competitive are you in your specialty? If you are applying to a less competitive field like family medicine, you will be more likely to be able to have a geographic preference for where you apply (particularly if you are a strong applicant). If you are applying for something very competitive like dermatology, you might end up applying to every program in the country.

How many options do you have for your specialty? Ties in a bit with the above, but specialties like family med, peds, and internal med have way more programs available in many locations across the country (and often those programs have many slots). More specialized programs like ENT, plastics, or dermatology are only available at major academic hospitals, which obviously limits the locations where med students can apply.

Do you have geographic ties to the area? Applicants who the residency program believes want to live in that area do better. It's not always sensible (plenty of late 20/early 30 somethings are very willing to relocate anywhere to practice their chosen specialty), but it definitely happens. But if you have family in the area/previously lived in the area of a given residency program, it's easier to get an interview.

Are you couples matching? In general, if you are trying to match to stay in the same general geographic area as a partner who is also going through the match, you and your partner have to apply way more broadly, as you would ideally like to have options for the match that would place you close to one another.

Does your residency program require a transitional or preliminary year? This one gets kind of complicated, but there are some specialties where residency doesn't start until your second year of residency, meaning you need to find a one year slot called a transitional or prelim year. In an ideal world, most students in this position would rather find a prelim or transitional year near their subsequent program so they can settle in and not have to move long distances in the middle of their residency, but this doesn't always work out.

Hope this provides a little clarification, but it very much varies from person to person. It's one thing PB got right in OPH - it is very realistic that you would have people like Jackie (who was in Boston for med school and stayed for residency), Elijah (did med school halfway across the country in Chicago), and Bryce (did med school across the country in California) all at the same hospital - particularly a prestigious academic hospital like Edenbrook is supposed to be.

[argylemnwrites]

The warmth on display here is so satisfying!

|From Kate Walker’s Phone|

Permatag:

@axwalker @burnsoslow

@kat-tia801 @petiteboheme @karahalloway @debramcg1106 @forallthatitsworth @twinkleallnight @walkerdrakewalker @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @marshmallowsandfire

TRR

@kingliam2019

@princessleac1 @theroyalheirshadowhunter

Moodboards

@argylemnwrites

[argylemnwrites]

God, the Delores stuff drove me just nuts. They didn’t even check her palate for soot if I recall correctly, which would have been well within the wheelhouse of an IM team. But then they just start managing pre-eclampsia horrifically and all I could think is “why is this poor woman not on the OB floor?” There is a reason that many hospitals triage pregnant women past a given number of weeks to the OB team, regardless of presenting symptoms - other fields are just not going to provide adequate care.

I’m pretty sure based on piecing together what the OPH team said about Luke’s brother being their unofficial medical consultant and that story line that he is an IM doctor without any OB experience beyond med school rotations. Because the way it was written, Delores died due to pure medical incompetence, which was clearly not how I was supposed to view Ramsey. But his management of that case was insane on both and OB and peds level (that NICU scene - let me tell you that the NICU nurses would have kicked out Ramsey and MC faster than you can say “malpractice”)

Sorry to also butt in on this conversation, but it was cases like this where not having an actual, paid medical consultant really backfired on the storytelling in OPH.

If Kaycee is in the same position as Dolores, what would be her choice? Wait and try to protect her baby, or give birth hoping they would come through? How would Ethan deal with this situation?

They would choose to give birth now.

Failure to do so puts both lives at risk, and Kaycee’s life is every bit as important as her child’s. (Let’s talk about the lack of respect our society gives to the lives of women some other day, please.)

They would make this choice without the experience of Dolores in their past, but with it? Not a single chance they’d make another decision.

If the decision was Ethan’s to make (say, Kaycee was unconscious), he would choose Kaycee. One of the reasons they only have one child is because, after a rough pregnancy, he never wanted to put her in that position again.