#if you think about it this can fit all red/green dynamics if you just ooc them a bit

[twildflower]

[cyberfairyblog]

Why Jillian Sucks

Hi, welcome to Odyssey Mystery Hour! I'm your host @gritsandbrits and today I'll be talking about a hot topic in the AIO fandom! Wanna know the tea? Keep on reading!

In the weeks I started getting back into the radio series, the newer episodes have started to irk me, mostly because of one of the more annoying additions: Jillian. Marshall. 😬😬😬

Even though I ship Jason with my self insert OC this not going to be about her. There's a lot of reasons why I do NOT like the idea of Jillian x Jason becoming a canon thing on the show. I hope to describe these feelings as best I can.

Who is Jillian you might ask?

Well to put it simply, Jillian is what happens when a Soccer Mom and a TikTok boyfriend mate and spawn an unholy baby and name them Rachel Berry. Out of the aspects of Nu!Odyssey I dislike, Jillian is the one thing I truly despise. Thankfully I've met fans who share the exact sentiment! 😁😒

Double-N Annoying, Double-O Nincompoop

Making her debut in 2018, Jillian is described as lively and upbeat, if a little high strung and immature; the perfect recipe for Kid Appeal! Before she moved to Odyssey she lived in different cities and worked nineteen jobs before becoming roommates with Connie and her sister Jules.

Now this is actually a fairly interesting set up: a new character struggling to find purpose only to discover it in a quaint small town. But as it turns out her going through that many jobs seems to be more than just struggling to find purpose.

When I first saw her design my thought immediately went to the smarmy classmates I went to school with.

We're introduced with this iconic line: "Hi!! I'm Jillian Marshall, double-L Jillian, double-L Marshall! It's so nice to meet you!"

With that one sentence I knew I was about to die.

The following episode has Jillian bumbling through every job interview much to Connie's duress after which she conveniently ending up working at Triple J Antiques...the same place Jason works!

A little backstory on Jason: he is the adult son of John Whittaker, one of the show's main character, and a bit of an Ensemble Darkhorse. He was introduced as a secret agent meant to bring action and intrigue into the show. He was set up as a charismatic and reckless sort of guy clashing with the calmer Jack Allen. After the Green Ring Conspiracy Saga, Jason officially retired from James Bonding and settled down to work at the Allen's antique shop.

Given his immense popularity there's understandable concern for how he is written and who he gets paired up with. So what does that have to do with Jillian.

Well, the idea of Jillian working at the same exact place as Odyssey's resident bachelor and calling him cute raises a few eyebrows.

"B-but Grits all she did was call him cute! You're reaching too far into this!"

Am I? Look I know this wouldn't be much of a big deal too but that is a subtle tactic the writers threw in to get the cogs turning for Jillison. Jason is clearly uninterested and even implied to dislike her. Jillian bemoans this but Connie reassures her that that's not the case. But hey at least she called him cute so OF COURSE she's going to end up being his love interest!

To me removing a character's core trait to justify a romance means you do NOT know how to actually write a compelling romance. It's trite, it's forced and painful to listen to.

It's also obvious she's a replacement for Bernard, given they have similar personalities and her brief stint on TV (which she also failed at lol). But whereas Bernard was actually endearing, Jillian seems more of a cliche womanchild with zero self awareness and tact. No actual depth, just a personality that is incredibly dumbed down and even insulting. Seriously they made her the dumb blond stereotype in an era where we should've moved on from that! 🤦

Did I mention she goes to church?

Yep she's gonna be one of those Christians.

Literally Loveless, Literally!

Oddly enough the narrative frames this as a rivals to lovers thing, where Jason is both the charismatic friendly guy and the super uninterested Straight Man. The constant twisting the turning makes him go OOC. See we know he's fit better as the former because that goes in line with his canon personality. But when they make him the latter he just comes off as unnecessarily mean. This is turns frames Jillian as someone we should pity: "Oh the attractive male doesn't like me because I went into his office without permission!!"

Wouldn't it make more sense for Jillian to be the one uninterested in a romance since her focus in to find a job/better purpose and romance might distract her? That would make a fun subplot...IF SHE WASN'T OBNOXIOUS!

A pattern I noticed and several fans pointed out: Jason's previous love interests were consistent in that they were strong minded women who challenged him in different ways. Their personalities bounced off creating a fun dynamic that was entertaining to see. Even though they didn't end up with him, you can still see and hear and feel their chemistry which is my goal for Jason x OC. Tasha doesn't make Jason OOC & they had a bittersweet arc, so their interactions were organic. Monica only made him OOC because she was a villain actively manipulating him. So again that worked in terms of story and led to Monica's redemption if my memory serves.

However, Jillian's dynamic is not that fun to listen to. You can feel her annoying Jason through the airwaves. She's strong but only in the sense of feeling something hard underneath your back laying on the bed and realizing that's just your earbud. She's vibrant yes but what else? She doesn't have any unique traits to contrast Jason, and any attempt at a contrast would mean making him act out of character. Adding her bumbling clumsiness and annoying voice, Jason would get tired of her very quickly. He's the type to go for people to have intelligent conversations with, not make him lose braincells. She could very well bring out the worse in him, it'll be an unhealthy relationship.

Here's a tidbit worth mentioning: the VA for Jillian actually auditioned with Jason's VA Townsend Coleman. Now that is big ass red flag right there! No hate towards the actress, just throwing that out there. There's also a facebook page dedicated to Jillison. Typical FB stupidity ramped up to eleven, or AIO fans who see something in Jillian; or at least THINk they see something worthwhile in her.

It doesn't help the writers keep insisting that these two go well together. The audience knows they do not work well as a pair but the narrative keeps insisting they are anyways. I recall an episode that had them pretend to be married while undercover and it was bad. Like REALLY humiliating to see Jason put in that position. He also told her to shut up much to my joy because she could NOT stop being irritating for five minutes. Alas the show still tries to justify Jillian being the Perfect Woman for Jason when she's anything but. And not even endearingly imperfect.

Follow Up

These tags I wrote on one of the AIO posts describes how I feel about Villain Marshall and the Jillison coupling as a whole. It just wouldn't work because Jason needs someone that can actually CHALLENGE him, have their own personality that can bounce off his (without being forced), and most importantly DOESN'T AGGRAVATE THE FANDOM!!

I have not met a single person anywhere that say they like Jillian. It's a different story apparently on the Club App - they like her for reasons I'm too cowardly to find out. But no, she sucks as a character. She makes a annoying friend, and is not a good addition to the show, much less a good love interest.

The only good thing she brought us are the nicknames we gave her 😌

That's all for now thank you for tuning into the Odyssey Mystery Hour. Next week I'll be talking a bit more about my OC Vanessa and her role in the world of Odyssey! Goodbye and make sure to lock your doors to prevent Jillian from coming in!!

[searchingforbucky]

Fic Recs (Part 12) :)

Welcome to the ABO fic rec list! I just want to clarify this is not for werewolf AUs, this is A/B/O dynamic. This also has been highly recommended and I’m so sorry it took me so long, i was struggling about whether or not to include the smuts that are like, no plot lol. But I decided I will, they will just be separated. The first part is stories that are not solely focused on smut, and the second set are ones where smut drives the story. Its super long, I hope you guys like it :) 

Heart & Soul by @all1e23

Okay so I know everyones read this, and if you haven’t……do it right now. But I feel like I would burst into flames if I didn’t include this. This story, is absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever read. I would read it 51284823 times if I could. The relationship between these two, is just the burst thing. Theres no ulterior motive, he loves her and will do anything he can to protect her, she is learning to love and trust him. There is nothing more beautiful. Its a slow burn, but thats what it should be. It perfectly builds their relationship into what it is now, which is something that I can only hope to get. Allie is an artist with all of her works, but this one is just so special.

Better Like This by @simam12

You know what else this has besides Alpha!Bucky???? Detective Bucky and  reader! Hell YEs !!!! This story is fantastic, I Absolutely LOVE this premise and the slowish build of their relationship. And the badass omega!!! YES!!!!! Supportive yet protective Bucky!!! yEs!!! God its just so good!

Step With Me by @kentuckybarnes

if you want a slow burn that is fantastically good and has fluff, and slight angst? Ohhhh buddy is this the one for you. I love the reader’s personality and Bucky’s patience. It makes the slow build to love so so worth it. This is a A/B/O story that is about more then sex. It being about the right to choose who to be with, when to be with them, and in what capacity, and its beautiful. 

Just Try by @waiting4inspiration

Oh man, now this one, what a series. So action-packed, so many twists and turns, any time you think things have calmed down? NOPE somethings gonna hurt lol. But its just so, so good. And its long so it has a lot of time to build these wonderful characters and this universe and this family, I miss getting updates for this, I was always so excited to find out what happened. I always love stories where the female lead is really independent and strong. Its nice to see. Super, super well done, highly recommend. Also check out their fic The Red Cloak

Some Alpha by @propertyofpoeandbucky

God I am straight up in love with this story. Its actually about Chubby Alpha Bucky and Beta reader which is so cool and unique, it’s always so awesome to find for different and this fic it’s just like the thing for me. Their dynamic is so cute, you have independent beta reader, insecure and infatuated bucky, it just leads to a love that so pure and not guided by power complexes and its actually really plot twisty lol. Love it. 

 Pint Sized Protection Squad by @shy-violet-soul

You wanna read probably the cutest most tooth rotting fluff ever? Well this is it. This is absolutely the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff, and its absolutely amazing. You get big protective bucky surrounded by pups and little babies being protective of the reader and bucky not knowing what to do, I cannot even begin to explain how close I got to legitimately squealing. 

Bound To My Broken Soul by @captain-ariel-barnes

I love this one, I just really like stories that give a glimpse into the Winter Soldier. He is aggressively soft in this, which may be OOC but who cares I love it lol. You juts really feel for Bucky, you want to give him a hug and let him be happy. He is such a sweet boy who gets so much bad thrown at him :( anyways, super well done fic, absolutely loved it.

Not My Scent by @stevenssrogers

We love a jealous!bucky and possessive!bucky ! I love mutual pining stories too! And this is the cutest combination of them. Bucky is crushing hard on his girl, his girl is crushing hard on him back, are they gonna do anything about it? Of course not! Not until bucks jealousy overrides his common sense lol. This story is just really cute, really well done, and the dynamic between ALL of the characters is really fitting. (Im talking about Tony messing with Buck lol)

By Chance by @green-eyeddragonfanfiction​

My heart! My soul! This was, just, perfectly beautiful. So well balanced with emotion. It’s completely unrushed and captivating. The dynamic between bucky and threader is perfect, we need more independence and actually choosing to invest in a relationship instead of the author basically forcing them into one lol. SO awesome, and so well done.

Project lure by @itscaptainyoulittlemaggot

This one was so unique, and I really like the rawness of it. It represented the situation and subject really well, there was no romanticizing but it was still a beautiful story. super awesome. Broke and forced to choose between food and your suppressants, you sign up for a drug trial that promises a lifetime supply along with a fat pay check. However, all is not as it seems as you unwittingly become caught up in Hydra’s latest experiment

Did You Just Growl by @welldonebeca

This is a short but sweet, and funny Drabble. I love seeing protective Bucky with a crush, its adorable. It makes me want to wrap him up in a blanket and never let go. Love this. 

Okay, so these are the smuts. its hard for me to fic rec smut, because I don’t know what to say other than its written well and its hot lol. SO I’m gonna include the summaries so you guys know what its about. I hope thats okay :)

Too Close by @theycallmebucky

Alpha!Bucky lends a hand to Omega!Reader during her heat. Hell yeah Bucky is a perfect alpha, the second I read the first line I was all in haha. We all know I love protective possessive bucky and ohhhhh baby is this a great example. He wants to help his girl, who isn’t really is girl lol. This one was really well written, detailed, and not rushed. 

Accident or Fate? By @asirenscalling

This one is so cute. Its not smut with no plot, but It is over half smut id say. I don’t know what it is about like, weird fated get togethers that just automatically make a story a favorite, but it really does. I loved how this one isn’t like, we accidentally mated so lets just tough it out, like they had this genuine connection. The sun was nice too if you know what I mean lol. One morning you, an omega, wake up next to the an alpha you only met the night before with a bonding mark on your neck.  What are you going to do now?

Comfort by @thottybarnes

This one I loved because there was just this awesome dynamic between the characters. You see them before the smut, and he really just cares for the reader, he wants her to be okay and happy and this smut wasn’t driven by anything other than wanting to make his girl feel good. Jealous/possessive Bucky comforts you, his (not yet) omega that is struggling with the results of a recent mission.

Animals Awaken by @221bshrlocked

This one isn’t mainly smut, but its filthy lol, so I needed to add it here haha. Really good though, I loved the sort of enemies to lovers vibe, its all about that sexual tension yo! Bucky forgets to take his suppressants in time during a mission with you. You offer your help but he rejects, afraid that he’d hurt you because it’s his first rut since decades. And well, you know the rest. Also check out the start of their other fic called Thought You Were Mine

The Chase by @firewolf-marvels

This one is really cool, I like the thriller aspect of the first part, and then you find out that its like, a thing in their relationship. It really sets up the dynamic of their relationship well. Werewolf AU. You’re being chased and it ends up getting heated 

Alpha by @misssavenger

You go into heat earlier than you had anticipated. This one is basically all smut, but that doesn’t mean its not good! Its really good! And sweet, and really well written. I love the fact that Bucky didn’t want to take advantage of her, but they’re meant to be together so its okay lol. 

Alpha, Please by @welldonebeca

This one is super good, and its an Omega!Bucky!! So Cool! Bucky experiences his first heat after being held captive for so long. You help him, and you finally mate. 

Do You Want To Have An Alpha by @welldonebeca

Here they are again with another awesome unique pairing, this one is Beta!Reader. When you confess to Bucky that you’ve never been with an Alpha, he offers to show you what it feels like. 

And even though I know its not Bucky, theres this really awesome Alpha!Chris Beck story by @after-avenging-hours called Stardust that I HIGHLY recommend. 

I hope you all love these fics as much as I do! :)

[shadowsblades]

VALEERA’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Rachel OOC Contact: IMs, Discord

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

Valeera Sanguinar is a blood elf spy loyal to the Wrynns. Sometime after surviving the fall of Silvermoon, she fought alongside Varian Wrynn in the gladiator pits and later escaped and helped restore him to the throne. Valeera acted as an advisor and bodyguard to Varian throughout Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, Mists of Pandaria, and Warlords of Draenor. Following Varian’s death on the Broken Shore, Valeera pledged herself to his son and the new High King of the Alliance, Anduin. Valeera also worked alongside the Uncrowned, a secret organization of rogues affiliated with both the Horde and the Alliance, against the Burning Legion.

Points of interest:

blood elf working for the Alliance (not that she will ever admit to it)

undefeated gladiator Champion of the Crimson Ring

previously possessed by a dreadlord

Shadow of the Uncrowned

no pants, ass right there

huge green orc daggers

much hair, very blonde

little armor, very red

What they’ve been up to recently:

In canon:

discovered Mathias Shaw was being impersonated by Detheroc

worked with the Uncrowned to defeat the Burning Legion's assassin Akaari Shadowgore

carried messages between Anduin Wrynn and Baine Bloodhoof regarding the meeting between the Forsaken and their human families (which lead to many deaths, rip)

assisted Baine Bloodhoof to return Derek Proudmore to Jaina (which lead to Baine’s arrest, soz)

On this blog:

compliant with everything in canon

I have plotted with @lightsblade that Valeera was involved in the negotiations between the blood elves and the Alliance during MoP, and during that time also became sexually and romantically involved with Lady Liadrin. Although her loyalty to the Wrynns and overall emotional reservedness has made things slow going, they are involved still and Valeera makes frequent visits to Quel’Thalas. Now that the Horde and Alliance are at war again, that places Valeera in a fairly precarious position, torn between her new home in Stormwind and the home she fled from as a child.

Where to find them:

Stormwind

pretty much anywhere on Azeroth because spy

Current plans:

This blog is still pretty new and I’m still on my first thread with most people, so I’m still getting a feel for the relationships Valeera has with other canon and original characters. I would love to plot more things with people, be that pre-established relationships or a relationship we can build towards in threads.

Desired interactions:

Other Uncrowned / Rogues: Although Valeera primarily works as an independent agent, there’s every possibility that she has made contact with other rogues and maintains a mutually beneficial relationship with them, facilitating the exchange of information that would be difficult or time-consuming for Valeera to obtain herself.

Sin’dorei: As Valeera becomes more involved in activities in Quel’Thalas, she’s likely to be interacting with other sin’dorei, but given that she is closely affiliated with the Alliance, those interactions might not initially be very pleasant. There’s also an opportunity for Valeera to reconnect with other sin’dorei she may have known prior to the Fall of Silvermoon, such as teachers, neighbours, and other orphans.

Alliance leaders: Valeera has been embroiled in Stormwind’s political affairs for a number of years now, meaning she should have some kind of relationship with the other Alliance leaders, particularly those that also live in Stormwind. I’m intrigued by how Valeera and Alliance higher-ups perceive and interact with one another.

Quel’dorei in Stormwind: Valeera’s only connection to her culture while living in Stormwind are the interactions she has with the high elves. While most likely limited and antagonistic, there’s potential for a really interesting dynamic.

Offered interactions:

I think Valeera’s mobility and neutrality offer ample opportunity for interaction. As above, she can be found pretty much anywhere, and unless your character is a demon or annoys her, she’s usually not inclined to attack. 

As above, your character could be a source of information Valeera is seeking or they could be looking to trade information with her, you could catch her lurking somewhere she isn’t supposed to be, or simply meet her as she travels between two points.

If your character, canon or OC, is in a position of power, Valeera might be involved in carrying messages between them and Varian/Anduin.

Apart from being a spy, Valeera is also a hero. If your character is in some kind of trouble they don’t deserve to be in, or if there’s an enemy lurking about, she'll most likely try to help out.

Current open post/s:

None, but you can find a meme to send here (feel free to send anything that looks like something to start a thread out of, just not those headcanon memes or drabble memes) or just jump right into my IMs to yell at me. 

Anything else?:

I reply pretty quickly because I get excited, but I don’t expect the same from you.

I’m making my way through the World of Warcraft novels and comics at the moment, but I definitely don’t know everything there is to know and I probably don’t even know what I don’t know. If I get something wrong about your character or the lore, please help me learn!

Tagged by: pickpocketed from @necroarchy

Tagging: @lightsblade, @ladywindrunner, @themorningfell (on Airlia or on any of your other blogs), @anierous-sunblade, @wclfcrown, and anyone else who would like to!

[mxladymorgan]

Romantic Shipping Info

TAGGED BY: @infcrtunii TAGGING: @pilawforhire @missvvave @sunfirekid @red-pirate-jenny

WHAT’S YOUR OTP FOR YOUR MUSE?:   The romantic ships I play or discuss with my friends are my OTPs! That’s with Law - @pilawforhire - Sabo - @rxvolutionarysabo and Sanji - @blackleg5932. I have no Morgan x canon character OTP right off the bat, without it being roleplayed because to me that does depend on the interpretation.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RP WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?:   I am willing to roleplay most things, I should think... This means to write the relationship from before its inception and develop it further in time; perhaps even trying different routes of varying “difficulty” or “level of happiness”... Writing twists, AUs, takes on this ship across different verses - what remains the same? what is different? what’s the adaptation about? In terms of violent reactions or smut, I am willing to rp under major discussion so neither my partners nor I feel affected or that the writing is bringing us down. Will do crackish things if I trust my partner enough for it, which I pretty much do already from the moment shipping is green lit. I am a bit of a sucker for that “domestic/family life” things too.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?: I do not know. Maybe it’s not a matter of age but of abuse? I guess it would be fine shipping with a character that’s in their 40′s - not to mention challenging for the characters themselves, which is interesting to write - but older would be weird. Needless to say, anyone shipping with me should have a character that’s at least 18 years old and be of at least the same age themselves so this gap goes only upwards and is off discussion downwards.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?:   Hell yes. I am sorry but I don’t like the idea of just letting it roll with everyone myself and that would definitely go against Morgan too. It’s a bit of an unconscious thing, this selection but so I don’t write the same thing twice, you can read more on this below!

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY’RE CONSIDERED NSFW?: I honestly do not know. Out of courtesy, I will tag posts as “nsfw” or “nsfwish” if their content is around smut but this does not mean I necessarily find them heavy. Indeed I only write the “steamy moments” as the question puts it with those I ship with, as Morgan would not get sexually involved with someone unless without having romantic feelings for them and my partners and I have never written anything graphical in that department, more like innuendos and insinuations so I’d say my posts are hardly considered nsfw to begin with!

WHO ARE OTHER MUSES YOU SHIP YOUR MUSE WITH? Already mentioned in the first question!

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?:   Please do. Well, I mean... I mean, if your character fancies Morgan, you’re more than free to let them show it in whatever way you find fitting - thoughts, words, gestures or even actions. Just don’t expect me to take it as bait and bite it to boot. It’s not automatic. Whether Morgan fancies them back and I write it or not, please send me a message so we can be clear about this! This being said, a relationship does not have to be born from mutual liking - it’s possible that half of the couple is not interested in the other but has their feelings changing over time. This can be discussed too. 

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?: Not really. I am fewship. I do not have “vacancies” or anything but I would not feel comfortable shipping with more than a handful of people at a time. It’s important to say I don’t insist on that “one ship per verse” rule but no matter what, Morgan would never cheat on anyone!

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?: This depends. As part of the fandom I am ship-couldn’t-care-less to be honest. As a writer, I find ships important. After all, relationships or whatever and of all kinds are very important in a person’s life, so of course that translates to the character as well. Familial relationships can be hard to come by unless they’re canonical, so there’s a big emphasis on romantic shipping. While I am not obsessed with them, I recognise their importance even in what concerns the character’s development as a legitimate being and the challenges it poses to a writer, too, who now has a fictional relationship they have to treat as though it were real. I do not deny romantic shipping is more important in Morgan than in any other character I write because of romantic love being so important to her and a big force in her life.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?: My first answer would be “none” because I don’t care much for shipping or fandom talk as a whole but in a nod to my amazing friend Liz, I must answer Zosan.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?: Here it is, the kajillion beli question! There is no answer to this because there is no formula. I ship when there’s a spark, a gut feeling, an idea that it makes sense. This can be something that’s exchanged between the characters, something written between the lines as my partner narrates their bit or something shared OOCly. And this does not mean the characters have to like each other from the start, they just need to have a dynamic my partner and I find interesting enough to go down the romantic lane. You see there are many options here and a feeling so pure it’s impossible to define. When you know, you just know - you know? I guess if you feel there’s potential in shipping our characters, you should address me without fear - the worst case scenario will be me saying “we’ll see” if I do not reciprocate the feeling - as chances are I will feel that too. Some things are so powerful they go beyond black words against white digital backdrops you know? We should get in touch and hopefully become friends and between IC answers and OOC messages, we will see this relationship (our baby!) flourish! Be warned: without wanting to push it, I will most likely fangirl about ideas and scenarios in the modern verse and/or with a domestic twist. I might spam a bit with random feelings as I will think about our baby throughout the day.