#buck is still a trending topic

[makorragal-312]

It’s been two days since the premiere of 6B and 911 is STILL in the top trending here and Buck is STILL a trending topic on Twitter.

THE COLLECTIVE TRAUMA IS REAL.

[kitasgloves]

comforting your insecure bf

part 2 . part 3 . part 4

— ♬ NSFW, MINORS DNI, gn reader, based on this post

— ♬ Kageyama Tobio

Your long-time boyfriend Kageyama Tobio was adored by many for his outlandish talent as a setter in volleyball and for his handsome looks. You weren't naive to the people developing adorable crushes on the athlete and the people thirsting over him online. It appeared to you that Kageyama was contented with what he has in life at the moment.

However, you were oblivious to your boyfriend's surprising confession of his insecurity. You have no clue that Kageyama has been harboring it for a long period. He tells you that it was perhaps linked to his high school trauma of being left behind, he developed a thought that he wasn't good enough when he was a teenager. That's why he pushed everybody away and focused on volleyball, he believed he wasn't good enough to make anyone stay.

Now, that was a load of bullshit. Although it's sad to think Kageyama still felt this way until his adulthood despite having a secure life, you weren't going to let him believe further that he was unworthy of being loved. Your boyfriend was lovable, he has adorable ways of showing you affection, and he's deeply honest and comfortable with you.

"Ahhh, [Name] slow down, please"

Kageyama lets out a breathless moan as you pumped his cock vigorously in front of the bedroom mirror. His athletic shorts were pulled down and his shirt exposed his toned abs. You settled from behind on the bed, burying your face against his neck as your warm breath tickles his skin. Kageyama desperately grips the bedsheets throwing his head back while you jerked him off.

"Baby you sound so pretty right now"

"Please [Name], want to cum"

"I'll make you cum if you stop telling yourself that you're unlovable"

The setter turns his head to you but you force him to look into the mirror. He gazes at his disheveled reflection, panting with your hand now massaging his balls.

"Tobio, you're so sweet, kind, and patient"

"You make me so happy in so many ways"

"You're better than what you think you are. If you were so unlovable, then I wouldn't have stayed would I, love?"

You whisper tenderly against his ear. He was hypnotized by your words and the way your hand around his cock continuously pushed him to the edge. His heart threatened to burst out of his ribcage.

"You're so fucking hot too. I like it when you moan, Tobio"

"I like the way you kiss me when we fuck"

"I like how your cock makes me cum every time"

Kageyama swallows as his head grows dizzy, his release is a few strokes away and you can feel it. His hips begin to buck against your hand as he watches himself fall apart through the mirror. When you cooed his name, he goes slack as cum shoots out of his cock, coating both your hand and his abdomen. He collapses in your arms. When he opened his eyes, he tiredly smiled at you.

"I'm so lucky to have you in my life, [Name]"

"I should be saying that to you, Tobio"

— ♬ Kozume Kenma

Being a famous YouTuber and a figure on the internet didn't save Kenma Kozume from all the wholesome, deranged, and horny posts about his handsome looks on the internet. Everyone was infatuated with Kodzuken once in their life, you included. You were just lucky enough to end up with him. You couldn't care less if the internet was mad about you for stealing their hot gamer YouTuber. Although you were unbothered about the small percentage of hate you got from the people on the internet, criticizing your public relationship with Kenma, there's a much smaller percentage you weren't aware that has been bothering your beloved boyfriend.

You know Kenma was chronically online, even if he chooses not to admit it. He always knows the trending topics and drama, no matter the size of it. So it's no surprise that he stumbles to the small group of people calling him unworthy of you. Kenma thought it was absurd for a while until he kept reading more.

He sees clips of his live streams where he's dismissing you during a tough game when you walked in the room to give him a snack, he even shouted at you one time because he lost. He remembers missing your anniversary because he got distracted playing with his friends. And how could he forget how he made fun of you live in front of his audience for sucking at Mario Kart when he invited you. Before he realizes it, Kenma is convinced that he is a bad boyfriend.

Despite his unbothered demeanor, you know how Kenma cares a lot even the little things. So when you found out how he's absorbing the hate he got online, you knew it had gone over to his head. As soon as he was finished recording a gameplay, you dragged him out of his gamer chair and pushed him on the bed. Surprised, he watches you push the mirror in front of him. He raises a brow when you order him to strip, he obeys when he sees the dark look in your eyes.

"Kenma, how long have you been listening to the wrong people, hm?"

You gently asked him as you slowly stroked his cock, Kenma whimpered, suddenly unable to form any words to respond. He was flushed all over, losing the ability to think straight.

"Do you think those stupid haters are right, huh? Do you think you don't deserve me?"

Kenma moans when you begin to play with his balls, his heartbeat wildly banging against his ribcage. His brain felt like mush.

"Look at the mirror, Kenma. Do you think that handsome man staring back at you is a shitty boyfriend?"

"...Yes"

"Well, you're fucking wrong. Because my boyfriend is the best in the world"

You hear Kenma's breath hitch. The male can feel his heart flutter in his chest. The longer you jerked him off, the more the pleasure overtakes all of his senses.

"My boyfriend is so cute and nice he gives me animal crossing plushies"

"My boyfriend is so smart and fantastic at video games"

"My boyfriend is so fucking hot when he fucks me hard after a tough game"

Now, you got Kenma openly moaning and struggling to keep his eyes on the mirror. If you continue showering him with compliments like that, he's afraid he's not going to last long. His hands grab your thighs tightly with every breath you steal from his lungs.

"Are you ready to stop listening to those people online, baby?"

"Are you ready to listen to me?"

Kenma nods and you smirked. Your hand pumps his cock faster ripping a high-pitched moan from your boyfriend. You force him to watch the mirror as you kiss his neck and inhale the scent of his hair while you jerk him toward orgasm. When Kenma cums, he spasms with his cum shooting in different directions. The crash brought by the pleasure was so overwhelming it sent his eyes to the back of his head. You waited as his high melted. Kenma meets your eyes through the mirror and you send him a sweet smile, and he returns it gratefully.

"I don't deserve you, [Name]"

"Hey! What did I say, Kenma?"

"That I'm the best boyfriend in the world"

"Damn right"

He turns around to pin you to the bed before towering on top of you, there was a determined glint in his eye that made you gulp.

"How about I return the favor, love?"

— ♬ Iwaizumi Hajime

Everyone liked Iwaizumi Hajime. He was kindhearted, hardworking, and most of all drop-dead hot. He can make anyone drool with that muscular body of his. Nobody was immune to the boyish charm of the athletic trainer, that could be said the same to you. As the manager of the Japan Volleyball Team, you were bound to meet Iwaizumi. You remember how incredibly lucky you were when he asked you out on a date.

When you and Iwaizumi became official, things began to appear clearer. You have concluded that you couldn't live without your boyfriend, as dramatic as it seems. You met Iwaizumi's best friend after the Olympics. Oikawa Tooru and you got along well through teasing Iwaizumi, the way you two immediately became close after meeting planted an odd feeling in the athletic trainer's chest.

He'd like to brush it off as a trick of the eye, but he thought you were smiling wider because of Oikawa. Your laughter sounded louder when Oikawa told you a funny story. He could've sworn he caught you blushing when the setter was anywhere physically close to you. Iwaizumi knows he wasn't jealous, he knows what that felt like. But this one's familiar.

It reminded him of high school when he saw people flock around his best friend. The way Oikawa effortlessly attracted everyone's attention and gained their affection made his chest hollow. After all, why would anyone pay attention to him? He wasn't anything spectacular compared to his best friend.

After Oikawa went home, you noticed how quiet Iwaizumi had been. You knew your boyfriend so it was easy to find out why he was behaving this way. When you realize that it had something to do with Oikawa earlier, your heart cracks. Did he feel insecure? No, it can't be. But then why does he appear so down?

"Hajime, come here"

You call out to him on the bed. He lazily walks over to you, as he sits you positioned right behind him. You wrapped your arms around him and planted butterfly kisses all over his neck. His breath stuttered when you reached for the hem of his sweatpants.

"Wh-what are you doing, [Name]?"

"Shhh, lemme touch you"

With red cheeks, Iwaizumi reluctantly helps you pull his sweatpants off. It didn't take long for him to feel aroused. The moment he got a boner, your hand was already around his cock. He lets out a low hiss. You give him a few leisure pumps.

"Keep your eyes on the mirror, babe"

"[Name] I-"

"I said, eyes on the mirror, Hajime"

Iwaizumi reluctantly gazed at the mirror in front of the bed, he was not prepared for the lewd sight that awaited. His legs were spread with your hand stroking his cock, his face was flushed with sweat trickling down his forehead. Your eyes stared at his through the mirror.

"God, you're so handsome, Hajime"

"I'm so fucking lucky to have you in my life, babe"

The athletic trainer can feel his heart skipping beats, and his head begins to spin because of the sudden compliments and the erotic handjob.

"Were you upset earlier because I was hanging out with Oikawa?"

Iwaizumi nodded, he wanted to be honest with you. A tiny smile rises on your lips.

"I'm sorry, baby. Didn't mean to make you feel insecure"

"You know, you're the only one for me, Hajime"

You whisper tenderly against his ear. When you reach down to caress his balls, Iwaizumi lets out a choked moan.

"Oikawa may be handsome but you're my type"

"You're so fucking amazing, Hajime"

"You're so kind, patient, hardworking, and hot"

"Plus, you're good at pounding me senseless"

The pace of your hand went faster at every praise and it's making Iwaizumi go cross-eyed. He has a gorilla grip on your thigh as he watches you jerk him off to his release, he engraves it in his brain as it pushes him to his orgasm. Iwaizumi cums with a silent scream and throws his head back. He paints your hand with his cum. When he looks in the mirror again, you are smiling at him like he's the best thing that has ever happened in your life.

"Did you mean everything you said, [Name]?"

"Of course, Haji, why wouldn't I?"

"Especially the last part?"

"I only speak facts, babe"

Iwaizumi smiles as he grabs your face and crashes his lips against yours. Both of you collapsed on the bed, giggling and clinging to each other.

— ♬ Akaashi Keiji

You found it magical that no matter the stress Akaashi Keiji as an editor or a shōnen manga magazine, he manages to look so pretty. It seemed like the stress barely affected him at all. Your boyfriend was one of the underrated hardworking editors in his department, he may not have continued volleyball after high school, but he was contented with his life.

You and Akaashi have been together for long enough to be fairly involved in each other's lives. Being with Akaashi meant you have met his best friend, Bokuto Koutaro. Bokuto was a sweetheart, he was the former captain/teammate of Akaashi's and now a professional volleyball player.

Akaashi liked Bokuto very much, he looked up to him and cared about his well-being a lot. Today on his day off, he and Bokuto decided to hang out. They went jogging, he realized that he wasn't as physically active as he was in high school. They went to Onigiri Miya for breakfast, almost everyone approached Bokuto for an autograph or picture. They barely had a conversation because of the fans flooding in to meet him, and Bokuto was too kind to reject them. They ended up in Akaashi's apartment, it was a hot afternoon so both of them lounged in front of the fan, shirtless and watching a movie.

Akaashi subtly gazed at Bokuto's carefully sculpted body and looked at his slightly chubby tummy. Akaashi frowned, it was true that he barely had time to do some exercises or workouts because of how busy he was lately. Before he could stop himself, he began comparing himself to his best friend. He wondered how the hell did you end up with him, who was barely anyone special. He's just a guy you happened to fall in love with you.

Bokuto left later before you arrived. Akaashi decided to block out the insecure thoughts by finishing his work on his laptop. You notice how he was ignoring you when you got home, he looked frustrated when you checked on him. When you call him to eat dinner, he doesn't respond. You enter his office and approach him, but he won't let go of his laptop. You scowled and dragged him out of his office chair, he got out of your hold and sat down on the couch in front of the mirror. He was stressed, so you decided to help him.

"[Name]? What the-huh?!"

You settled behind him and unbuttoned his pants, he gasped when you pulled down his pants to his thighs. Your hand slipped into his boxers and grabbed his cock.

"[Name]"

Akaashi stuttered your name. You shush him by pulling his dick out of his boxers, his breath hitched. His eyes trailed to the mirror and watched the pornographic sight of you giving him a handjob, his heartbeat rings in his ears as he continued watching.

"[Name], please stop"

"Why, Keiji?"

"I-I..."

"What's wrong, babe?"

"...Why did you fall in love with me, [Name]?"

You chuckled and planted a soft kiss on his neck, Akaashi shivered when you continued to jerk him off.

"Because you're wonderful, Keiji"

"You're so handsome, hardworking, and kindhearted"

Akaashi wanted to protest, to deny that what you're saying was wrong because he doesn't feel special. Until you started massaging his balls.

"You're so fucking special, Keiji. I've never met someone like you in my life and there's no way I'm letting you go"

"Nobody has ever fucked me good after the first date"

An embarrassed blush rises on Akaashi's cheeks as he recalled the memory of fucking you all night after his first date with you. Slowly, he lets himself melt against your touch. He allows himself to be consumed by the pleasure. With lidded eyes, Akaashi watched you stroke his cock through the mirror as you peppered his neck with kisses.

"I fucking love you so much, Keiji"

The way his heart leaps out of his chest when you started pumping his dick faster causes a loud moan to slip past his lips. You smirk as you showered him with praises against his ear, effectively banishing the insecurity out of his head, and replacing it with your love and pure pleasure.

"[Name], gonna cum!"

"Go on, cum for me, pretty boy"

With that command, Akaashi comes undone. He shuts his eyes as cum messily spurts on his boxers and your hands. You give him a loving kiss against his temple.

"Go clean up, I'll wait for you at the table, darling"

Before you can leave the room, Akaashi grabs your hand. You look at your boyfriend filled with sweat, breathless, and with glasses crooked, he smiles widely at you.

"I fucking love you too, [Name]"

©kitasgloves (do not steal or copy)

[braxlrose]

smut hdc of nsfw bill, on his birthday, we want to make him feel sooooo good in every way possible. ride, suck him off, whatever he wants, we do. (also, almost got caught by tom and he probably heard but yk tom, he'd laugh or make fun of us later on.)

love ya!! 😘😘😘

OH MY GOD ANON THANK YOU IDK WHO YOU ARE BUT YOU ARE WUNDERBAR AAAAHHH OMG

cw: somnophilia (consented before hand though), oral (m receiving), riding, etc.

So pooks, September 1st rolls around and it's 6 AM

So you gotta get your dumbass ready for bill 😍

Which is why you go take off all your clothes and put on the nicest lingerie you have and freshen up in the bathroom

6:29 AM

Dick sucking time campers

Bill is still sleeping like a little baby in your guy's shared hotel room when you sneak under the covers and pull down his boxers

You first start pumping him to get him hard as he tosses in his sleep

After a minute of pumping you wrap that pretty mouth of your around his tip and begin to bob your head

I can already hear bill moaning in his fucking sleep.

Once you get the courage to deep throat him, he finally wakes up and is super confused when he feels wet lips sucking and slurping on his dick.

Bro doesn't even realize what's happening until he looks under the covers and your just under there 💀

Bucks his hips into your mouth 100%

He loves it when you suck him off so waking up like this is definitely something he enjoys, especially since he's not a morning person

When you're riding him, he's so loud and whiny

It's his birthday 🥺 so he does not give two shits if anybody hears you guys

If he's laying down the whole time, then he's got his hands on your waist and hips to keep you steady, but if he's sitting up while you're riding him, he's got his arms totally wrapped around you and sucking on your nipple, leaving hickies everywhere

ON THAT TOPIC

he loves it and wants you to give him tons of hickies

An extra little present for his birthday to show off what you gave him 😉

He also will absolutely LOVE IT if you leave scratch marks on his back

He loves how it looks in the mirror, and likes the stinging feeling (idk if it's just me but I kinda feel like sub!bill has a bit of a pain kink yk?)

After yall were done you were just laying in bed, you on top of his smothering his face with kisses, still completely naked when tom walked in

You didn't scream or anything, but you jumped and hid until the blanket 💀

Both bill and tom were laughing their asses off

yk cuz they're fucking assholes

A/N: you guys, I've been watching so many tokio hotel interviews and I keep seeing comments saying "I miss the old bill" LIKE WHAT FOR ONE, HES STILL GOT THE SAME PERSONALITY SO EFF OFF, AND FOR TWO, HE LOOKS SUPER SEXY RIGHT NOW SO IDK WHAT YALL ARE ON

also I hate the grimace shake trend. grimace just wanted to celebrate his birthday and yall ruined it ☹️

taglist: @hearts4kaulitz @burntb4bydoll @spelaelamela @bored0writer @dead-tapes

[lemotmo]

I think parts of that fandom are kind of in a tailspin of reality at the moment. Her ask box is still closed but this is OUCH

My friend received an ask telling him that he can't hold that deleted clip against Tommy because it's not technically canon since it was deleted. In the same ask they told him he had to give Tommy credit for letting Buck set the pace. Sweetie, you can't pick and choose what parts of a deleted clip you can claim are canon and what parts you can ignore. That's not how it works. The part of that clip that is absolutely canon is the repeated pattern, in non deleted scenes, of blatant dismissal on Tommy's part regarding any type of conversational depth when it comes to the topic of Buck and their relationship. I don't need a deleted clip to prove that's what's happening.

A couple of things are fairly obvious here. The traffic on that post is not what it would have been even 3 weeks ago. That's the first thing. Yes the numbers were decent but not great and certainly not impressive. They are representative of a small fandom, which is what you are. The second thing is they didn't trend on Twitter or Tumblr following the post, something that definitely would have happened a few weeks ago, and a barometer his fans constantly like to use as 'proof' of popularity. So something has shifted/happened. It could be that all the people screaming that they had been blocked by the official show account were being honest and the account moderators figured out their spamming game. Something that was always going to happen eventually given the kind of things they were openly admitting they were saying and sending. The Buddie fandom figured it out weeks ago and quickly started making up the commenting ground on the posts, they also, wisely, stopped engaging with the Buck/Tommy comments on those same posts. So it was only a matter of time before they became drowned out anyway. Meaning the numbers were always artificially inflated and once they weeded out the duplicate accounts the numbers naturally decreased. Or the more likely scenario, the hype faded. Something that was also always going to happen.

Anytime a show has 2 men kissing it's going to be talked about. People will watch it. Get excited over it. Want more of it. But if the show doesn't provide content of some kind, the excitement from the wider group at large, dwindles. My ask box, along with my friend groups ask boxes, pretty much confirm that the die hard shippers don't really care about the couple. They ship Lou. Buck and Oliver are just the character/actor Lou is paired with. Look at their behavior towards Oliver. He didn't engage with them, he doesn't promote the pair, and he doesn't follow Lou, so they openly turned against him. That was never going to be sustainable from a large numbers perspective. The audience cares about Buck not Tommy. It was never a smart strategy. Making it almost exclusively about Lou was never going to end well. The frantic posting following the release of the clip trying to explain why it was actually a good thing that Tommy doesn't care what the 118 thinks of him, when anyone with just a passing knowledge of the show knows it's actually a very bad sign, tells me all I need to know. You're aware of the reality of what the show, THUS FAR, is doing. Only it doesn't match the content you paid $200 to hear, my apologies $169 to hear, so you feel cheated. That's not Oliver's fault. That's not the show's fault. And it's why I'm more certain each day that Tim put a stop to it. Those videos created an unmitigated disaster for everyone not named Lou.

I also think some people genuinely don't understand the size difference between the two fandoms. The Buddie fandom makes up a significant number of their audience as a whole. Their fans are not all on Tumblr and Twitter. They have general audience fans. That is not an exaggeration. And it's something the show is more than aware of. Do not try to pretend the show doesn't know that. The general audience/passive fans, like them as a unit. It's just a fact. And never, until now, has a group tried so hard to pretend they aren't an audience favorite. They are. I also think there's quite a few fans like me. I don't classify myself as a shipper. I want the best story for the characters I love, Buck and Eddie. I like Tommy for the larger Buck and Eddie story I think they're using his character to set up. Once it's been set, I don't need or care to have Tommy stick around. Once the newness of the Buck/Tommy pair settled lots of casual shippers were always going to make their way back to the Buddie side. It's the side with all the context. It's also the side the actor/character the show cares about is on. And I promise you Oliver gets a say. Ryan gets a say. Lou doesn't get a say. Paid for headcanons don't get a say.

Ooooof, well--

Nothing to add to this one I think, so I'll wisely stay quiet. Thank you anonymous OP for being so based in reality. :)

Thank you for sending this to me Nonny. It's appreciated, as always.

Remember, no hate in comments or reblogs. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of the anonymous OP’s posts, you can find all of their posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buck & Eddie: "My Buddie Crack Theory"

Since the finale airs tonight, I decided I'm finally ready to share my theory with details.

Question: What is "My Buddie Crack Theory"?

Answer: Buck's still in his coma dream.

I've included the details below the cut but please note, if he is still in his coma dream, it's NOT A NEW CONCEPT because it's been done on network TV before. (Details about the TV show "Dallas" and the main character "Bobby Ewing" are below the cut.

After season 6 ended, I read a post on 911blr that contained a screen shot from the show's IG page and it included a statement from someone who works on the show. It indicated season 6 was an "experiment" and it piqued my curiosity because I remembered reading about a TV show that did something similar in the 1980s. If it's true and KR was doing an experiment, then, it's possible 9-1-1 is doing something similar with Buck's coma dream.

In 1986, a procedural drama, "Dallas" did it with one of their main characters. The gist of it is, after main character "Bobby Ewing" was killed in a car accident at the end of season 8, he came back in season 10 because one of the actors who was still on the show asked the actor who played "Bobby" to come back because their ratings dropped. He agreed and the writers retconned the entirety of season 9 and turned it into a dream sequence for Pamela, Bobby's wife. Supposedly, she dreamed everything that happened before she woke up in 10x1 and when she walked into the bathroom, he was in there taking a shower 🙄. ISTG this is true and I know it's soapy and weird but here's a link to one of the articles that discusses it (Dallas).

How does this relate to 9-1-1? Well, it relates because since the beginning of season 7, there have been many indications in the interviews from the main cast about the possibility that TM is retconning seasons 5 & 6 and doing a mirror image or carbon copy of season 4 so he can get the main characters back to the point they were at in 4x14 (Buddie and Bathena). It's when he left OG in the hands of KR since F*X wouldn't allow Buck and Eddie to go CANON.

Before I delve into this, I need to make three points. First, I'm not making this about one specific character because the show already did that so please if you're going to be salty about it, please don't read this. If the things I've identified are correct then, that's on 9-1-1 and their writers. Second, these are my interpretations and observations of all the off kilter, retconned and unhinged things I've noticed since last season. Third and finally, when the season is looked at as a whole, it appears Buck still being in a coma is the only thing that makes sense.

Disclaimer: No one has to agree with my theory and please understand I'm not asking anyone to. The purpose of me doing this post now is because I wanted to wait until just before the season ends before I posted it because I wanted to see if the trend would continue and it has, for me at least. My theory could be right and it could be wrong but the point is someone else may have a difference of opinion and if they do, it's perfectly ok because two people's opinions can co-exist.

Now back to the regularly scheduled program...

Several things happened in seasons 6 and 7 that caused me to believe Buck's still in his coma dream and since the beginning of season 7, I've felt like all the mains have been acting OOC at different points and their actions have been off in someway or another. I'm not the only one who noticed it and there have been viewers who've commented on this topic in post-mortem articles and on social media. When I looked at the entirety of 6B and season 7, IMO, it seems like everything is being told from one character's POV, i.e., Buck's. It's a flawed and skewed one that in order to understand, one has to go back to review the details in 6x11.

After 6x9 aired, to me it seemed like Buck and Eddie were already together in a romantic relationship but Buck got struck by lightning and it halted everything. If they were, then everything about Buck still being in a coma makes even more sense and it explains their actions.

Here's a brief summary of 6x11: It appears Buck woke up TWICE in his coma dream and the first time he did, he was talking to Daniel but the first person he remembered from his life was EDDIE. After Daniel told him the next time he climbed a ladder, he should be sure there was someone available to have his back to which he responded, "I did". Reminder, after his brief flashback, Eddie wasn't included in Buck's coma dream anymore in season 6. I think the second time he woke up was when he was talking to Maddie before the 118 entered his room. Also, while he was playing gin with Bobby, Bobby told him he couldn't believe Buck returned from a world where he could fix everything but he replied, "Not everything."

I think he was still in his coma but he thought he woke up and when he had a coffee date with Natalia, he told her, "I woke up in a world that was both everything and nothing I ever wanted it to be" and other than the two things he told Maddie in 6x12 (included below), that's all the audience heard about his dream.

Now, in season 7, Eddie's the ONLY person Buck keeps thinking and talking about non-stop which could mean he's still in his coma but this time he's seeing his romantic life. Reminder, he was confused in 7x4 about whose attention he was trying to get but the viewers knew it was Eddie. Additionally, everything that happened in his dream has come to pass in some form or another but it's possible it might not be real.

Maddie and Chimney got married in 7x6 but it wasn't the wedding Chimney described to the team in 6x16 they were planning before he proposed. In his dream, he told Chimney they should get married because they already had a kid and a house.

Bobby retired and he died (temporarily) in 7x9 which both of those things happening have always been part of Buck's biggest fears. In 3x10, he told Bobby he's one of the most important people in his life and in 6x11, Bobby being Buck's found dad was CANONIZED by May Grant. Reminder, Bobby was dead in Buck's coma dream when he was talking to him.

In 7x10, it's possible the 118 might get split up (hopefully they won't but with Ortiz and Gerard around 🙄 who knows what's going to happen) and that's another thing that scares Buck, him losing his family. In 3x16 he was worried about them being split up and he worried about it again in 6x5 during Hen's medical school party.

In 6x11, when he was running towards his hospital room, he ran past Chris but Chris asked him to help him find his dad but Buck told him he wasn't real but the truth is he was (related post).

After he woke up the second time, the audience didn't see Buck's recovery from him being depressed and everything they did show was kind of off but not so much that it would be noticeable. The conversation Buck and Eddie had in 6x15 in the cemetery in front of Marie's grave was interesting and that's when Buck admitted he felt like he had to be the same old Buck mostly for the sake of everyone else. Viewers who watched the last few episodes of 6B remember what a cluster "F" they were and several recurring characters acted OOC too.

Now let's fast-forward to season 7.

I've been posting about my theory since the end of season 6 but I really dialed into it after 7x1 aired because the timeline Athena stated surrounding when Bobby purchased their cruise tickets was OFF. For those who watched 5x18, they know Bobby purchased the tickets then but their trip got delayed at the end of 6x1 after Athena's father had a stroke. But in 7x1, her scene with Frank started with "Two months ago" then she said, "Last week, my husband... he did something, he... booked us on a cruise". Why is this a problem? It's an issue because the TIMING IS OFF. For Athena's timeline to be accurate, seasons 5 & 6 wouldn't exist since Bobby actually booked the cruise in 5x18 which happened more than a year before they left.

Additionally, all of Buck's biggest fears are being addressed in season 7 and they're happening one right after the other.

Bobby retiring (mentioned above).

Bobby dying (mentioned above).

The 118 being split up (mentioned above).

In 7x10, it appears the Diaz parents might be taking Chris from Eddie and moving him (hopefully temporarily to El Paso). In Buck's coma dream, he was worried that Eddie lost Chris because he wasn't there to introduce him to Carla (she hasn't been mentioned once this season - related post).

The sun setting behind Eddie and Buck in scenes during season 7 are also part of this because in 6x12, Buck told Maddie, "For some reason, it's never nighttime in my coma dream". IMO, it appears Buck's running out of time to figure things out and it's possible he just might by the end of the finale, that is if the narrative continues.

Furthermore, NONE of the things that happened to Buck in season 6 have been addressed in season 7 and they remain unresolved (related post). There hasn't been any mention of the sperm donation, the baby, his quest for captaincy, his recovery from being struck by lightning and he never had a breakdown, even though he's well overdue for one. It's kind of like everything that happened wasn't addressed on purpose and before 7x1 aired, in an interview, TM said he didn't want Buck focusing on all the stuff that happened in season 6 because he wants to be happy.

I'm including a lot of one-offs that happened to add credence to my theory. Before reading the items below, don't forget, Buck is Midge in the movie "Vertigo" and she was waiting for Scottie (Eddie) to move on from his deceased wife. Well, isn't that what Buck's kind of doing now with Eddie? YES!

I think Marisol doesn't have a last name because Buck doesn't know what it is. He met her in 6x5 the same time Eddie did and when they went back to her house, I don't think he was worried about her and Eddie dating later on. However, I do think she's the only woman Buck could think of since she was the only one he saw Eddie with before he got struck by lightning. Eddie didn't mention Buck to Felisa in 6x7 when he told her about Shannon dying and Chris getting caught in the Tsunami even though everyone knows Chris was with Buck that day. Also, Buck never met Vanessa in 6x14 since Pepa introduced her to Eddie and it was after the lightning strike anyway. It appears Marisol was the only woman he could think of that Eddie might end up dating. Eddie's never said her last name either which is suspicious. Reminder, Eddie used to say "Ana Flores" all the time which means he knew her full name.

In 7x1, Eddie said, "Welcome back to the land of the living Buck, you were truly missed". It was an odd comment because they were still working together and if they saw each other every shift, why would he say it like that? It seems like he's still waiting on him to wake up.

In 7x4, Buck told Tommy, "I haven't had this much fun since the night I got struck by lightning." 👀 IIRC, that night wasn't fun for anyone especially him, so it was a strange comment for him to make and when Tommy asked him about it, he replied, "I'm just using it as a point of reference." Therefore, it seems like the show wanted the audience to remember Buck was in a coma and it's possible he still is.

In 7x9, Tommy said it had been 5 years since he left the 118 which was WRONG because he left before Buck started which happened 7 years ago. It's another weird timing discrepancy but I think it was included for a reason and it relates to Buck and Eddie. It appears Buck was once again confusing his feelings for Eddie with Tommy since later in the same episode, Eddie told Kim it had been 5 years since his wife died but if the math is done, it's also been 5 years for Eddie working at the 118. Reminder, he quit in December 2021 and he didn't return until May 2022. Therefore, Buck's known Eddie for 6 years but Eddie's only been at the 118 for 5.5 years.

IMO, Buck's encounter with Kim in 7x9 was him coming face to face with his worst fear (related post) and it involves the way he believes he'll never be able to measure up to Eddie's first spouse, even though the audience knows he's fulfilled the role as coparent in Eddie's life since 2x4 when he stepped in and helped Eddie find childcare for Chris.

The retconned ages in season 6 have continued to be up for debate but I think while in his coma dream, Buck got Eddie's, Shannon's and Denny's and his own ages wrong and I think the show made a point to highlight them because if TM really is retconning the last two seasons, then it's true, Buck would be 30 years old since he was 29 in 4x5 and it's possible he would have had a birthday before 4x13 aired (if the show was on their normal schedule). They've never stated Eddie's age so who knows how old he is.

It's possible Tommy's a figment of Buck's imagination especially since he's so much like Eddie.

Kim's comment to Buck in 7x9 about how the firehouse looks bigger in person than it does on FaceTime was a direct callback to season 2 when Buck slide down the fireman's pole and walked up behind Eddie after he had just finished a FaceTime call with Shannon. Buck told him he should ask Bobby for a discount when Eddie asked him if he thought they'd have to get married again (Buck was being petty).

Now if 9-1-1 is planning to retcon seasons 5 and 6 within Buck's' coma dream, then everything makes perfect sense because in 6x11 and in 7x4, one thing was clear, IT WAS ALL BEING TOLD FROM BUCK'S POV which everyone knows was flawed. Even TM admitted Buck wasn't seeing what he thought he saw because it was from his point of view. Buck remembered things that didn't happen the way he thought they did in his coma dream. One of them includes him believing he saved Bobby but the truth is he didn't because Chimney did when he took Bobby to meet a couple whose baby was saved after they got a blood transfusion with Bobby's blood in season 1. Also, Buck's memory was so jacked up that he thought Eddie wouldn't have been able to stay at the 118 if he hadn't introduced him to Carla. He also believed Eddie would have had to fight his parents to keep custody of Chris which was WRONG for two reasons. First, Eddie will sacrifice anything for Chris and second, Bobby RECRUITED Eddie and convinced him to join the 118 instead of station 6. So logically, if Bobby would have been dead from the plane crash in season 1, Eddie NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE 118 BECAUSE BOBBY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE TO RECRUIT HIM. It also means Hen and Chimney wouldn't have met Eddie; therefore they wouldn't have known he had a son.

If 7x10 ends with Buck waking up from his coma and him remembering he's already in a relationship with Eddie, I won't be surprised because that's what the narrative was showing in season 6. Also, AB and MJW both said, "Something biblical was going to happen in the finale" and the only thing I can think of is Buck coming out of his coma.

Can the narrative change, of course it can and it has several times over this season alone with last minute scripts and storylines but hopefully, this season will end on a good note because IMO, it's been underwhelming thus far.

With regards to Buck and Eddie, I think TM (showrunner) has done his best to confuse viewers this entire season so they won't see what's coming. I'll admit, I might be completely off base with "My Buddie Crack Theory" and none of the mishaps that I've identified mean anything but it's also possible they could mean everything. Tonight's episode will tell the tale so I'm curious to see how it will all turn out.

Hopefully, it has all been a dream and Buck and Eddie will end the season together in preparation for season 8.

[sevensoulmates]

Greetings, I really want to know your opinion about this topic I saw. Something about metrics, so my friend was saying there's is a shift big enough in the fandom favorite characters because the buck/tommy ship is the most popular pairing now than buddie is and abc was waiting to see the fans reaction to decide the future story of buddie and the possiblity of buck tommy is bigger now. Are tv studios really measuring this data? I knew they did this with ratings but not this, how exactly fans get this kinda info and statistics? And shows like this one usually listen to the audience this way? I just thought it was interesting but don't know if is true.

If networks only went by what fans trend then buddie would've gone canon back in season 2b/3. That's when they had their first big surge in numbers like right now. Buddie was so popular it was beating out seasoned pairings like Destiel!

And yet...the networks did what they wanted and buddie stayed just platonic friends. Regardless of how popular and profitable buddie was/is.

And I don't believe bucktommy is more popular than buddie. There's a surge in popularity, yes, because they're brand new and Buck is confirmed queer for the first time, so of course there's gonna be a lot of new and excited eyes on it. It's the shiny new thing everyone's curious about. They're almost ENTIRELY a blank slate that people can project all of their desires for a canon pairing to have. It's far easier to trust a pairing that has two confirmed queer characters than it is to hope that the show will do the same for Eddie. There's a lot of factors that go into it, that make it seem like bucktommy would suddenly be the new fan favorite, but you also gotta keep in mind....it's only been a month. It's still fresh in people's heads. Buddie has survived seven years. It all goes down to infatuation vs. love. A crush vs. commitment. You'll see.

And yes, some cynical buddie people or people who just want Buck to get with a guy period and don't care about a love story will jump ship easily. But they are NOT the majority. They're just being super loud right now (which makes sense again it's huge news!) so it FEELS like there's a lot of them.

Myth: eVeRyOnE'S jUmPiNg sHiP to bUCktOmmY

Reality: Most bucktommy shippers are also buddie shippers and are just enjoying a new cute ship while it lasts and multi-shippers are allowed to exist. Just because one ships something doesn't always mean they want it to happen in canon. Two things can exist at the same time.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: I don't think they would've taken the leap to make Buck queer in the first place if they weren't AT LEAST strongly (and I mean strongly) leaning towards making buddie canon down the line. Majority of fans are going to EXPECT it now, and as Tim said, he tries not to let fans dictate what happens in the story, but he IS aware of what fans want. If he's making a decision like this, he is committing to being hounded literally non-stop about buddie until they actually become canon. I don't think he would do that unless that was the end goal, even if it's not for another x amount of seasons.

Yes, networks do keep track of fan metrics because it directly correlates to views which earns them money. BUT just because they know something is popular RIGHT NOW doesn't mean they're gonna just jump and immediately do it or scrap other plans. Especially when those other plans might be something that earns them MORE money down the line. I've talked extensively already about how buddie would be extremely profitable (more profitable than bucktommy sorry).

Fact of the matter is Tim and Co. know how loyal and dedicated most of the buddie fans are. They know they can weather any storm and still come out of it annoying as hell badgering them for the same thing.

Finally, despite Tim Minears many many flaws, I do have faith in him as a writer that he at least TRIES to do right by these characters. He's flawed, he has bosses that he has to adhere to. The same goes for the Kristen Riedel seasons as well. BUT, I think that Tim knows his characters well, and at least has SOME kind of vision of where they need to end up. I trust that Tim is going to be true to his word and is not going to let fandom trends dictate where he takes his story. I hope Tim knows what he wants, and with the approval of the networks, does it.

Edit: You can also think of the Bucktommy vs. Buddie popularity like Spotify monthly listeners. Just because a new popular artist with a trending song suddenly has more monthly listeners than someone established, like say Beyonce, doesn't necessarily mean this new artist is more popular than Beyonce or has more dedicated fans than Beyonce, it just means that person is the hot new thing and is trending so they have more listeners than Beyonce AT THE MOMENT, but not long term. Does that make sense?

[baltears]

honestly i think ppl don't give tvd enough kudos for bucking some really pervasive genre trends at the time in terms of depictions of internalized misogyny. obviously theres crazy beauty standards bs all over everything and a lot of racism and a typical amount of complication that comes into depictions of gender in the hetero romance genre (including some other problematic tropes like fridging) but in the 00s unironically saying you weren't like other girls was still considered cool rather than sexist and tvd actively refused to do it. in very early s1 elena is given the opportunity by a man to nod and agree that another girl (who is more stereotypically feminine and characterized as a bit of a shallow airhead) is annoying, and even though elena kind of does find caroline annoying in s1 she instead defends caroline and criticizes damon for insulting her. not to make this about hating on twilight because it's its own topic but twilight was a huge trendsetter of the genre and even contemporaneous with tvd and a character like bella swan just wouldn't have responded that way

[loopy777]

So one of the things tolkien have gotten a lot of flack for throughout the years is the way he desceibes one of the men from far, far south harad as "black" and looking like "half trolls" with "white eyes and red tongues", as well as some other travlers in book one who isnt given a clear distinction other than being foreigners, and "looking like half trolls".

Personally i always read it as exactly what it said on the tin, with the people in question clearly being halfbreeds of some kind similar to the uruk-hai, with pitch black skin, very distinct pure white eyes, and tongues so distinctly red they stood out from all the rest as a signature trait, but a lot of people have accused him of making them a stand in for african people, with all the colonial baggage that entails.

But what are your thoughts? Personally i think tolkiens take on the haradrim(who he speciffically noted was meant as the ancesters of modern day north african native people) is a much better indication of how tolkien regarded africans, but i'd be interested in hearing your take on the topic.

I don't really feel qualified to have a worthwhile opinion on the matter. It would require good knowledge of the context of Tolkien's culture, upbringing, and writing, especially the kinds of racism he would have been exposed to. I just know him as a British professor dude who grew up in South Africa, so I think he almost certainly was influenced to some degree by the prevailing racism, but trying to measure how much exactly it appears in his works is something I consider beyond me.

I do think it's helpful for people to point out when it appears that racism or racial stereotypes are incorporated into stories like LotR, and I think that's much more valuable than trying to figure out how much of a racist the original writer was, specifically. Even progressive, anti-racist people can be influenced by these kinds of things (see the number of innocent storytellers who may not realize the racist/sexist/ableist/etc origins of some of the monsters they use), and even if it's just a complete accident, it's still helpful to point it out so that current writers don't fall prey to the same mistakes. It's also good to point out where the authors of the past also did pretty well or bucked the trends of their time, as it shows the possibilities and legacy we can draw on for our modern works. I like it best when we can point to a story and say, "This thing is an unholy mix of outdated values and some of our most modern progressive sensibilities," and enjoy just how complicated this whole thing can be.

So I basically think Tolkien could have benefited from a sensitivity reader, whether or not he would have accepted it.

[baby-goat-noises]

Something I noticed on my multiple watches of Trigun Stampede, (I dont have a problem you have a problem) is how often everyone throws around calling Vash/Wolfwood/Knives ect. A monster, and like, Knives I get it, he's literally trying to exterminate the remaining human race on No Mans Land, but Vash and Wolfwood arguably pose the last threat to humanity. But they get called monster the most? To me it feels like Stampede is really trying to drive home an "us or them" narrative for humans, there is a very intense fear of the unfamiliar, anything different gets pegged in a "dangerous" category (going back and editing this now that I think about it, that makes so much sense, everything we are unfamiliar with or is new we treat with some sort of disdain, all new trends, new technology, or even new ways of thinking about things is pegged as dangerous and a threat to the standard before eventually being accepted 3-10years later). That's kind of why I enjoy the way studio orange went about portraying Meryl, she doesn't shy away from the knowledge Vash is different, yes she's still cautious, it would be even more strange of her if she wasnt considering the environment she's grown up in, but she's never called Vash a monster, infact, in the very first episode she says "People aren't such caricatures, he's a man not a monster" despite Vash later on being proven to be very much not human, he still isn't a monster in her eyes.

Also on the topic of episode 1 and the final episode, I'm surprised that the July officer hunting Vash down still has his job and doesn't get called a monster, DESPITE literally almost destroying the town himself, the man literally sets off a cluster bomb over the town and him and his crew get sent home running. Vash saves the town 4 separate times and his brother comes over to fuck shit up and VASH gets shamed and shunned from town. Because KNIVES was different, because Knives was the worst threat that could happen to Jenoras Rock, Vash is the one that suffers the consequences. Plants have been stolen all over No Mans Land, everyone is complaining about plants being targeted or taken, knives would have come for those plants eventually regardless of if Vash was there or not. Despite Vash repairing the plant previously, despite saving the town from the cluster bomb, despite him saving the plant(and town) from the Nebraska family, and despite tracking down EG the Mime and stopping him from killing more people, Vash is the sole reason they were targeted in Rosa's eyes, everything that happened was Vash's fault.

I'm not ignorant that an argument could be made that if Vash wasn't there the Nebraska family wouldn't have targeted the town, but that's also fairly thin, let's say he wasn't there, they had just broken out of jail, had no money to their name, and were looking for a quick buck. Shortly after they had given up the chase on Vash their next thought was the plant, if Vash wasnt there to begin with it's pretty likely they would have targeted the plant first, AND gotten away with it! EG the Mime would probably have not shown up as he was sent there to deal with Vash by Knives but his other priority was to bring the plant to Knives too. And finally Knives, I'm fairly certain he only showed up himself for Vash, I think after they had been doing this song and dance for so long, he knew how the people in the area were going to view Vash, how quickly their tune would change from "our hero" or "monster". Personally I think Knives does it to prove some sort of fucked up "all humans are the same" ideal Vash refuses to acknowledge.

Sorry this was allot more rambly than I intended, I just have so many thoughts and the more I keep them inside the more psychic damage I take, I just enjoy talking about it so much and I'm already annoying my very limited friends with it 😭 forgive me

[monozip]

JUST SOME THOUGHTS 💭 : the nine circles of loona hell.

After the very straining and soul-sucking battle that is BBC (although its not totally over! court-hearings are still due on August, it is still relieving knowing all 12 are out of BBC) new doors are opening up for the girls: as an odd eye circle comeback is right around the corner, a new wave of thrill and excitement is brewing up but, akin to the feeling of getting kicked on the stomach and as you stand up getting kicked again....orbits not only relive the feeling of euphoria to a new comeback, they'll also feel the same dread and annoyance at the piss poor management.

Modhaus choose to stray away from the usual path a company would do for promoting their artist, that being with NFTS and the benefit of voting for certain things due to said NFT. And it seems to be working for other group under Modhaus. I understand the need/or want for a uniform marketing scheme, but I wonder if Modhaus ever wondered or taken into consideration if the majority of OEC/Artms demographic and fans actually...gives a shit.

Although being a hot topic during 2021 (and years prior to that), it slowly started dwindling back in the shadows as other waves of trends came crashing in.But even then it seems as if NFT is just a rich mans toy that also happened to pack a punch at mother earth: the whole novelty about NFTs are the cha-ching linked to it, you'd just oggle and laugh at the cartoonishly high prices celebrities pay for ugly drawings of monkeys or even participate in it just for a quick buck.

Yet I don't see why it's necessary to even have NFTS in Artm's case considering how environmentally degrading it is. If they wanted to earn a quick buck out of these fans they could've just simply locked those photos on a paywall, there are many avenues and paths that can lead them to the same place. Also factor in the fact that majority or at least a good chunk of the fandom either don't care or vehemently hate it, so it just stirs a lot of negativity in forums or platforms where positivity is a better option— and yet Modhaus or any company really, never listens to the fandom's wishes/thoughts/feedback which is a big blunder due to the fact that fans are what feeds these companies, without an audience there is no place for their music to thrive.

But what about the albums? They're environmentally degrading too!

See, this is where my main gripe about NFTS actually formulate. I'm very much aware that everything I consume in my life can and will damage the environment one way or another, but there's actually a purpose behind those things. NFTS on the other hand...not so much. They are soulless pieces of merchandise, thats soul purpose starts and ends with it being a selfie whilst damaging the environment. Albums is a great garden to grow and see even a tiny speck of art. The inclusions are also another factor, it's a medium for art to flourish and has some real life uses to it (cd's).

Aside from the drift between fans and NFTS. Scheduling, lack of 'hype' is a big sore in the comeback, considering how the members themselves spoke about how they wish for a win. Why couldn't they manage their calendars correctly? Why aren't they hiring employees that can cater for a better outcome? Why are there dead zones of silence in between teasers? There's also overpricing of tour tickets (the announcement being before we even got the video teaser, me-thinks it would've worked out much better if they announced it in the middle of promotions as the hype may still be around).

Promoting Loona had always been a pleasure for orbits especially in their hayday before the great Armageddon, but now as the tides are shifting: there is now a realization that orbits antics may just backfire: Promoting the group is always the companies job, it's merely an option for the fans. And it's not as if Modhaus is a company majorly lacking in resources, so why can't they do it themselves? And the bare minimum is not to ghost fans leading up to the release date, there are ways to bring in hype and extra content without even straining or overworking the girls themselves. Posting hints about the comeback, interesting tidbits and trivia about it, even posting a little screencap of the mv is a decent way to generate curiosity regarding the comeback.

I do appreciate those little shortcuts video they post, content better than nothing at least.

It's just tiring seeing oec/artms re-living the same old issues under the hand of the same old man.

But that aside, I do genuinely look forward for this comeback (or re-debut maybe?). I dig the concept and especially the first few set of photo teasers as it was very interesting and alluring. It's wonderful that they choose to recall previous details for the sub-unit's comeback/re-debut as it really gives a rush to old fans and can create interest to the new ones. Tiny thing, but I really like the details they placed on the eyepatches like the laces and stuff. Love the thick bangs on Choerry too. The video teasers were also an amazing watch, just hearing OEC's old songs now as they are in a new chapter in their career, new company, new everything, is just thrilling and sweet. I wonder (delusions) if Haseul or Heejin will be a featured artists in their b-sides! That'll be fun for sure.

[mr-and-mr-diaz]

Hi! I'm new to this fandom and to this ship! I was wondering for NSFW fics which dynamic is the more popular/most content? Top buck/bottom eddie or top eddie/bottom buck?

Did you want an essay response? I don't know. Do you have one? Yes, enjoy! <3

First of all, welcome to the fandom! We're in upheaval right now :) Now, to your question: I plugged this into AO3 and got 12 results for Top Evan Buckley/Bottom Eddie Diaz. Then I got 14 results for Top Eddie Diaz/ Bottom Evan Buckley. Which unfortunately doesn't tell us which one is more popular (buddie has over 20,000 fanfics, there’s NO WAY), it more likely tells is that tagging in this fandom has its problems.

TBH I think tagging "top" and "bottom" had gone out of style overall, with a lot of accusations of fetishizing with MM pairings flying around on this hellsite and of course, twitter. Which makes me laugh, because 1.) so many people look for just that even if they publicly decry it 2.) why are we making fetishes illegal again? With the exception of dangerous and/or illegal content, if it brings someone joy why does anyone care..? But that's a topic for another time.

Now, back to your question: Buddie as top/bottom. Since the tags won't help us, I'm going to venture into fandom experience and my own opinions (feel free to ignore all of this): I think who is more dominant in the relationship (since no one is tAgGinG) has a bit of a seesaw depending on the season and the whims of the fandom. There are a few trends that have contributed to this:

Some fans writing Eddie as this abusive fisticuff-driven, doesn't-think-just-hits angry dude, and Buck shrunk in a corner all like "nooooo I'm sad because of the lawsuit!" This rose to popularity during Eddie's season 3 street fighting phase, and had pretty much already gone out of style by the time I joined the fandom.

More recently, I noticed a spate of fans making Buck out to be this hulking strongman while Eddie is this ancient, yet naïve and shrinking waif who cannot help but blush prettily every time Buck gives him the time of day. This narrative primarily rose to popularity starting season 4 when Oliver Stark started working out more and posting all his videos to social media. I find this trope so irritating and off-base that I wrote whole-ass essays about it. To me at least, it borders on the one thing in fandom that makes me nauseous--one character in a dynamic bastardized for the sake of the poorly disguised Self Insert Fantasy. The facts are that Eddie is no hulking 6"2 like Buck, he is instead a hulking 6" even, and his personality and physicality are both incredibly strong, way too strong for this narrative to have any basis in canon. So yeah, it feels icky to me. But again, if it makes people happy, then whatever. I'll still write about disliking it though, because it makes me sad :(

What's my favorite dynamic? GoOd qUeStIoN... Lol, tbh you could probably sus it out pretty easily by reading the fics that I write. Fair warning though, most of them are pretty schmoopy :)

[rekrootingagency]

Do You Know the 4 Critical Cs of Successful Onboarding? 

Is your onboarding process apt enough for your new employees? Does it give everything that they need? Do the new people in your workplace family feel empowered, safe, and accepted, and do they belong entirely to your organization?

Are you still trying to figure it out? Then you must be missing something critical, thinking, what is that? Well, we are talking about the 4 Cs of effective onboarding that can make any direct hire process flawless. This blog will discuss them in detail to make your onboarding process smoother. Following this incredible 4Cs can be one of your best onboarding practices. Staying empowered about the 4 Cs of successful onboarding is significant for providing an encouraging work environment to your new people. It is crucial that no onboarding software can do this; this has to be a core element of your onboard processing protocol.

What is the Importance of Out-of-the-Box Onboarding?

Onboarding has been emerging as a trending topic for the last few years. It is especially prevalent in this transformed work environment that we are experiencing now after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creating a welcoming ambience for your new people has become a matter of utmost importance. Whether hiring via your own TAs or working with a direct hire agency to meet your talent needs, a sensible onboarding process is a mandate now. But many companies still don’t have an organized onboarding process, and they need to buck up soon!

Some of the enormous benefits of intelligent onboarding are:

Boosted Productivity

Extraordinary Organizational Culture

Reduced Employee Turnover Rate

What are the 4 Important Cs of Employee Onboarding?

Can we agree on the significance of the best employee onboarding process? Amazing! Now let’s explore the four Cs of new employee onboarding that has to be in your employee onboarding checklist!

You must leverage these techniques while performing onboarding for new employees in your organization. This will help take your company’s new hire onboarding to the next level!

Let’s go ahead 

The First C – Compliance

If we speak about the USA staffing onboarding process, compliance is a colossal important thing. Companies are expected to cover all compliances and verify the compliances from the candidates’ ends too. After all, it’s the law, so it must be primarily taken care of.

Regarding the USA jobs onboarding, compliance measures ideally include the onboarding document. They have to be transparently dictated to the candidates. These documents mainly include company policies, safety regulations, confidentiality requirements, etc. Also, you must ensure that candidates meet all compliance requirements from their end during the onboarding process.

The Second C – Clarification

Unfortunately, the HR onboarding process for many companies starts breaking off at this step. However, it is very crucial though. As an onboarding specialist, you should ensure that all your new hires understand their role in the company and what’s expected of them. Everyone likes a transparent environment. Right?

Whether you organize a digital or in-house onboarding process, you should aim to answer specific critical questions. They must range from high-level queries like the objective of the company, about their reporting managers, etc., to basic details like where is the parking area. All these together will give a lot of clarification to your new employees.

The Third C – Culture

Company Culture often remains underrated. Organizations take it for granted or mistake it for various benefits like catered meals or unrestricted time-off policies. However, focusing on the authentic culture from the onboarding stage is ideal.

It goes much more profound and encompasses a company’s values, mission, vision for the future, and the way of interaction of team members. So, you should prioritize company culture from the beginning of the onboarding stage. And further, keep steeping new hires in it as time passes by.

Company Culture should be a priority starting from the original employment ads and initial interviews stage to the first few months of new employees at your company and so on.

The Fourth C – Connection

You must establish connections among your employees from the onboarding stage to succeed in your business. Your staff is your strength and not some random people. They are a team. At least they should be one. Hence, you should foster a connection between your employees and new hires by introducing them to the former.

A band of people which comprises both your old and new employees who meet on weekends to perform community service or so should be your aim! Allow them more and more time to connect better. This will help your new employees feel embraced.

Ready to Put the Four Cs into Action?

As we end this blog, hopefully, you will have an idea about the importance of onboarding best practices. Right? Precisely, the excellent Four Cs Approach to effective onboa    rding. Isn’t it amazing? This insight will be helpful for your company.

So, aim to implement an onboarding strategy in your organization that ingrains compliance, clarification, culture, and connection within all your new hires. Make sure you are committing to it. And that’s it! Your company will surely touch new heights.

All the Best!

[krookidcookies]

On the Subject of Fashion.

When young girls imagine a weapon, they often think of the sleek shine of a sword or the glimmering sparkle of a perfectly polished hand gun. But let's be honest: nothing slices through the daily trouble of doubt and self-hatred quite like a brand new pair of Gucci Mules. Fashion, my dear reader, is not just a statement about showing one's inner feelings; it's a powerful, transformative force of nature, which can be welded with unparalleled finesse - I mean come on, all you have to do is ask the women of the Upper Paleolithic Period!.

“Does this Mammoth fur match my eyes?”

“Hmm, not sure? Maybe try the saber tooth tiger print instead?”

In a constantly rotating world that often reduces women to mere accessories, fashion is an escape route for girls all around the world and is an ultra chic way of flipping the script. “You think I'm nothing but an accessory? Well, suck my Jimmy Choo bangle you dirty bastard!” One should consider fashion a shield against the mundane routine of everyday life and a sword in the battle against blurring self-expression.

The right outfit doesn't just turn heads - it snaps necks, and commands respect wherever the wearer chooses. Think about it; there's something almost revolutionary and reminiscent of the renaissance that comes from wearing your favorite mini dress; the one that feels like it was made just for you and makes you feel like a million bucks. A tweed jacket is more than just a mere fashion accessory - it's a declaration of who you are, and even when you're too nervous to talk, the jacket does it for you…

“You can't compete, and it would be futile to even try!”

Whilst on the subject of fashion, I try to write to a mainly middle aged audience, but let's be honest, they aren't the ones in desperate need of a major movie makeover - think Fern to Vylette or Kady to plastic. As a man it can come across as anti-feminist of me to write about the way I believe women should present themselves, so my opinion stays humble. The runway can present a fabulous velocity of ideas for a young girl to choose from, but the runway isn't cheap, and even normal clothes are getting higher in price than Kate Moss in the early 90s - kate mess, more like fashion mess. It's either shitty t-shirts or fugly sandals for you Mary.

It wasn't too long ago that fashion was set to the most popular trends of the decade, the trends of this decade include: a slight combination of any decade, any era and any style, which can make it hard to identify where to shop for your certain style. The disco loving girls might choose Rabanne for their signature clothing store, the same way the scene-queens might choose Hot-Topic. Much to the chagrin of anyone with a sense of style, Sophie Ellis Bextor wasn't lying when she said it was Murder on the dancefloor - it's a tough game of cat and mouse when it comes to choosing the right outfit for a night out, especially if you're looking to trip the light fantastic! Herve Leger and Versace Jeans Couture present wonderful ensembles for a night out on the town, but they don't come cheap, ranging anywhere from $350 - $8600, so you ask, how can I find a solution to this infection of overpriced designer clothing? Two words my dear reader… Thrift Boutique! Now, a thrift boutique is NOT the same as a thrift store, in the thrift store you can spend hours sorting through people's clothes only to come out with a scratchy sweater - circa the first world war. But in a thrift boutique, someone has already gone through and organized the clothes by designer and size!, but it's also important to remember to not spend all of your time and money in the boutiques (even if it might be easier) ,because the salvation army isn't called the salvation army because they steal from the poor, and op shops/thrift stores are a great way of collecting fabulous clothes, while still doing something good and giving back to your local community.

[theentrepreneurshipinindia]

How AI is Helping Small Businesses Compete in the Digital Marketing Arena

In today’s digital world, small businesses often feel like they’re up against giants. Competing with bigger companies can be tough, especially when it comes to marketing. But there’s good news: Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game. AI isn’t just for the big players anymore; it’s becoming a powerful tool that helps small businesses level the playing field in digital marketing.

1. Better Targeting and Personalization

One of the coolest things AI can do is help small businesses get super specific with their marketing. AI tools can dig through loads of data to figure out what your customers like, what they’re buying, and how they’re behaving online. With these insights, you can create marketing campaigns that feel personal and relevant to your audience.

Example: Imagine you own a local bakery. With an AI-powered email tool, you could send personalized offers to customers who love your cupcakes or bread, making them feel special and more likely to come back.

2. Smarter Advertising on a Budget

Advertising can get expensive, especially if you’re trying to compete with bigger brands. But AI is making it easier to get more bang for your buck. AI-driven advertising platforms can automatically tweak your ads in real-time to make sure your budget is being spent in the best way possible.

Example: Let’s say you run a small online store. You can use AI tools like Google Ads’ Smart Bidding to adjust your ad spending automatically, so you’re not overspending but still reaching the right people.

3. Automated Customer Support

Customer service is crucial for any business, but it can be a time-drain, especially if you’re a small team. AI-powered chatbots can help by handling customer inquiries around the clock. They can answer common questions, help with orders, and solve problems, all without you having to lift a finger.

Example: If you run an e-commerce site, an AI chatbot can take care of customer questions and even help with sales, so you can focus on running your business.

4. Easier Content Creation

Creating content is important for marketing, but it’s also time-consuming. AI can take some of that load off your shoulders by helping with ideas, optimizing your content for search engines, and even drafting blog posts or social media updates.

Example: If you’re a small digital marketing agency, AI tools like Jasper or Copy.ai can help you brainstorm blog topics or create first drafts, so you have more time to refine the content to match your style.

5. Making Better Decisions with Predictive Analytics

AI isn’t just about what’s happening now—it can also help you predict the future. Predictive analytics tools can analyze past data to forecast trends and customer behavior, helping you make smarter decisions about your marketing strategy.

Example: If you own a small clothing boutique, AI can help you figure out which items are likely to be hot sellers during the holiday season, so you can stock up and plan your marketing accordingly.

Wrapping Up

AI isn’t just for big companies anymore; it’s a powerful resource for small businesses too. By using AI for better targeting, smarter advertising, customer support, content creation, and decision-making, small businesses can not only compete but thrive in the digital marketing world.

And if you’re serious about learning about Digital Marketing and AI, consider enrolling in a Digital Marketing course in Faridabad. The Vidya Sarthi Institute of Digital Marketing offers a one-week free trial, giving you a chance to explore how AI and other tools can enhance your business’s digital presence. Embracing AI doesn’t have to be complicated—start small, explore the tools that fit your needs, and watch how AI can help your business grow.

[starlight-time-machine]

Week in Review

07/21/2024 – 07/27/2024

Sunday

Week 24 of missing Cipher Academy

Undead Unluck was pretty cute this week. It’s nice that the Chikara/Tatiana ship is actually getting some justification this time around, as they had basically nothing in the last loop lol.

The SpyFam arc ended about as perfectly as it could have – with a realistic tinge of bittersweetness. I’m glad that we’re at least bucking some trends with Henry’s wife not being villainized, and how she actually contributes to Martha fulfilling her dreams in a way that lies beyond the scope of Henry and their romance. Of course, I also love how Endo left the two of them with some open-endedness in their old age…it’s definitely going to take until the end of the manga before we get to see a single panel of them chastely holding hands as confirmation of their relationship, but so be it. This is no Undead Unluck, after all.

ONE PIECE IS SOOOOO GOOD WHAT A HISTORIC CHAPTER

Read The Problem Child by Michael Buckley in one sitting today. I desperately wish that I didn’t have to keep reading this fairly mediocre series, but as mentioned before I own one of the books from childhood so I’m in it for the long haul. The prose is as basic as ever, but I do appreciate that Buckley seems to be strategically giving Sabrina interesting emotional arcs as she learns to navigate the world and grow as a person, and I feel like the themes would resonate really well with the book’s intended audience. It certainly did for me when I was a kid – I remember being really excited over Puck and Sabrina’s kiss and the cliffhanger ending…I kind of wish I could still reach that place within me, but unfortunately it’s long gone. The book itself is fine for what it is, I suppose. I like that the title is a bit of a red herring, that’s cute.

Monday

I read Astral Season, Beastly Season because I enjoy works that examine parasociality and idol worship, and of the books I’ve read so far this handled the topic the best (not that it was a particularly high bar). I like that the two leads each represent different aspects of idol worship – Yamashiro liked her because he could look down on her, and feel special about not blindly buying into her idol charm like other idol fans…while not realizing that this was just another version of dehumanization on his part, and he was just as obsessed with preserving the image of her that he had in his head. Morishita, on the other hand, had weirdly pure motives. He seemed to be unfeeling to a fault, in the sense that he didn’t really have any close bonds or consider other people to be special or worthy of protection until he met Mami, and once that switch flipped, he didn’t have any qualms about doing whatever it took to help her. The chemistry between Yamashiro and Morishita was also great…this probably wasn’t the author’s intention, but the gay reading of this in my mind goes crazy… Yamashiro being drawn in by Morishita’s charisma just like he was with Mami…Morishita and Mami both being killers…Yamashiro being the only one of Morishita’s peers that he seemed to care about and listen to (even moreso than Morishita’s own best friend)…Morishita offering to die because he wants Yamashiro to live…Yamashiro offering to die anyway… Can you imagine what that final scene between the two of them was like… Did Morishita try to kill him painlessly… Was Morishita the last thing Yamashiro saw before he died… Man… But then the second half of the book completely lost me. Reading about these characters trying to understand what happened when I as the reader know perfectly well what happened was boring, and I didn’t care about the philosophical debates they were having about Morishita and their survivor’s guilt. The translation throughout was also a little clunky – I would’ve preferred it to use more natural English phrasings than preserving Japanese sentence structures so strictly, but whatever. It’s a pretty okay read.

Tuesday

Chainsaw Man…

Wednesday

Nothing today

Thursday

Read My Dad’s An Alcoholic at the library and was surprisingly moved. Most of it is a pretty straightforward examination of how alcohol can affect someone’s life, but I think seeing it through the lenses of a father daughter relationship was what really got to me. We can never truly know our parents, can we? And yet, they irrevocably shape our lives, and it can be difficult to write them off entirely… 5/10.

Friday

Didn’t do much today, but I downloaded The New Denpa Men off of the Nintendo eShop since it’s a “free” game. It’s decently cute, I guess, but the translation has that machine/AI translated flavour that’s extremely grating, and having to be online the whole time is annoying. If you wanted to be a live service game, just put it on mobile... I thought I could power through the rough TL since it’s a cute enough game to waste your time with, but then I realized there were other things I could waste my time with instead so I’m not going to bother.

Saturday

Busy day today

[jamieroxxartist]

Well it's been a Year Since I posted this... and * spoiler alert * I'm still Painting. Commission orders roll in. Business is up, Merch is selling etc etc. If anything I have had to roll back podcast shows to make up for the balance of Podcasts and Paintings. (Don't worry folks still plan on doing both) anyhow from 1 year ago, some thoughts on AI generated Art:

"More thoughts on the big AI Generated Digital Art “debate” So this is from a conversation Thread I was having with a friend who is concerned that AI Gen. Apps are stealing from Artists (they are, no debate there, it’s how they work) and is it the end of Painters etc. We are friends and disagree (see how that works folks, you can still be friends and disagree and have different viewpoints) Anyhow here are some of my thoughts on it:

“ idk __________, It’s fine that this is something you are passionate about, and I respect you and that you are passionate about it. But honestly I think this whole thing is more of a nothingburger.

I remember being in Art School and rise of the graphic artist (or at least everyone wanting to be one, and all of that) and Digital Art and Painting first hit the scene and some of the painters in the school were freaking out. The end of Painting and no one was going to hire painters anymore etc etc. I remember even a few of the instructors, "well you guys had better learn photoshop etc etc."

And I also remembered one wise,, old Prof’s I had who said, "Learn your Craft, Make a name for yourself and you will have no problem selling your work."

And he was right. That was a tried and true and proven business model. Fine Artists have been doing that for a couple of thousand years.

The Reality is these are all shortcuts. Everyone is looking for the shortcut. So many of these young artists want to be a singer on the Voice, they chase Fame. These folks do not want to put the time or work into it. Christ! I know some young artists that don’t even spring the $30 bucks to have business cards made. I mean really how serious about their business are they? They desperately want to be known and make it. But you will never see them at ANY of the local shows or networking with gallery owners or out in the scene. Again how serious are they?

I mentor a gal, who when she first joined my Patreon (for that) wouldn’t bring herself to talk on the phone. Wouldn’t make a Phone call. I had to explain to her that, that is great that she feels that way, but to understand that Gallery Owners, Clients, Collectors etc wouldn’t be accommodating. That’s just how the game is. She course-corrected and after a lot of work is part of a big group show in Feb. Her first show. She’s excited and so am I for her.

*edit she wound up selling 2 Paintings! *

Now we’re pretty far-a-field from the Topic of AI generated digital art. But I have a very simple solution. If someone isn’t into it. This art doesn’t speak to them and all of that. Very Simple Solution: Don’t Buy It! There problem solved.

If there is no market for what they are trying to sell, the Trend will fizzle out.

But also keep in mind, that just because I don’t like Oatmeal Cookies, doesn’t mean that no one else shouldn’t have Oatmeal Cookies either. Artistic Censorship is a slippery slope. ”

*note this image was generated, for free over on www3.lunapic.com/editor (have fun, and if you are paying to have these done, you are Dumb!)

*** You want one of these actually painted on a canvas, Call or Email me, and I’ll make that Happen. And hey I won’t even charge you extra if you just want a Painting of me and Mei Ling here lol

*** To my knowledge no animals or Painters were harmed in it’s generation. At least we weren’t ;)