#diplomatic narrative

[firstoccupier]

WPS.News Report: Events in the West Philippine Sea, Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal, and South China Sea (January 20-21, 2025)

WPS News Staff ReporterBaybay City | January 21, 2025 West Philippine Sea:In a significant move, the Philippine Coast Guard has ramped up surveillance operations concerning a notable presence of a large Chinese coast guard vessel situated in the waters off Zambales (China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5901, dubbed the “monster ship”). The escalation underscores the renewed vigilance of Philippine…

[fickleartdump]

finrod they could never convince me you're boring and generic because you're a shiny good guy I promise

[matteos]

[aran-morinorea]

Happy December yall! I bestow upon you all that remains to be posted of A Major Diplomatic Incident (part 1). It's going to take some revision, so I'm not posting it to ao3 yet, but this gets us to where I'm leaving off. The other chapter is the actual reason Elrond came to visit: post-Worst Road Trip, they invite him over to see Maglor. If he's going to be niceys about it. Both to Maglor and to Annatar.

…It was Tar-Glóriel who found Maglor in the first place. If it turns out he's literally Sauron, Elrond is going to blackmail Celebrimbor into letting him take Maglor to Lindon after all. At least for a year or two at a time.

This decided, Elrond ends the awkward pause with, “I suppose so. Mostly I'm just confused.”

“Tell me about it,” says Tar-Glóriel, tipping back over to put his head in Celebrimbor’s lap.

Elrond finds, despite himself, that he is smiling. His evil cousin-in-law, who feels about Celebrimbor the way he feels about Gil-Galad, thinks of him as a Maia. Not a half-Elvish Man or a half-Mannish Elf; not half-anything at all. What else would you be? 

And Elrond’s voice reminds him of… what might honestly be one of the worst days of his infinitely long life. He can’t imagine it was fun in itself, but given what it led to, Morgoth must have been very upset. Thinking about it, he says, “That must not help with the urge to murder me.”

“It really doesn’t!” Tar-Glóriel complains, making the shadows dance, “But I'm being nice about it, because I am capable of self-control.”

Celebrimbor laughs and puts his hand in Tar-Glóriel’s hair, saying, “And I appreciate it, love, thank you for not attacking my friend.”

“Yes, I am the embodiment of kindness and grace, you know,” says Tar-Glóriel, sparkling again; Elrond is beginning to think that’s what he does when he’s teasing. If “teasing” is a thing that a being who could plausibly be literal actual Sauron can be said to do. 

…If Elrond treats him like an enemy now - after being allowed to see him being so affectionate, so intimate, without further provocation - well, then he’s going to feel like the asshole in the situation. He might never stop expecting the further provocation to come, but he can’t act on that expectation, because he’s positioned himself as a - an amiable distant relation. Not even that distant, depending on how he’s counting! It’s possible he’d be in the wrong to start a fight even if he gets definite confirmation of Tar-Glóriel’s identity.

What in all the Iron Hells has Elrond gotten himself into?

[notmoreflippingelves]

Unpopular opinion: Elena of Avalor fandom edition! Mateo isn't the sweet dorky magician the wiki (and some fans) tends to present, he is just as competitive as (of not more than) Gabe and can be really selfish and arrogant. And he never really gets called out on his flaws or misdeeds as much as the other characters.

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

Yes, I'm not sure if it's my contrarian hipster brain seeing he's popular within the fandom and just doing it's natural "hype backlash" as result, or what. But my overall reaction to him is "meh" at best and low-key annoyance at worst. Maybe it's just me, but I definitely feel that whenever Elena, Naomi, Gabe, Isa, or especially Esteban are in the wrong, the narrative will have an explicit, impossible to ignore "what the hell hero" moment where they learn their lesson. But when Mateo is the one at fault, he's more likely to be met with nothing more than a brief slap on the wrist--and that's assuming he's called out for his selfishness/impulsiveness/shortsightedness at all. Which he often is not.

[icharchivist]

one of my controversial take about DA is that, independently to whether i like him or not in DAO or the books, Loghain is literally the best Warden companion you can have to play HLTA.

I'm sorry but Hawke hitting him with "you just can't imagine a world without the wardens even though it's probably what we need" and seeing Loghain firmly defend the Wardens because "i betrayed the order once and it cost me everything -- i won't do it ever again" is the most emotional draw you could have in HLTA compared to Stroud and Alistair's unwavering faith in the Wardens.

[kickerofelves]

On second thought, it might perhaps be a little unprofessional of me to suggest on official patient paperwork “discharge via trebuchet into the sun” with just a print out of

[themyscirah]

Just saw a bunch of atrocious wonder woman takes and I hate everything

Someone google nearest bridge to jump off of im so done w this

[reachexceedinggrasp]

Oh also, here's an extra (somewhat incendiary) ask you can answer if you feel like it: is there anything about Reylo, or Rey, or Kylo, or the Sequel Trilogy overall that you avoided getting into just for the sake of a peaceful fandom when it was a warzone? I'll go first: I didn't care about any of the storyline outside of Rey and Kylo and TFA!Rey only became interesting to me because of TLJ. I can still appreciate the characters somewhat and how they were done dirty by TROS and racism though.

Oh sure. I didn't totally avoid anything, I don't think, but there were certainly things I went as light as possible on because it just wasn't worth bringing up more than necessary. And I didn't argue about things I didn't care about, because who has the energy.

Although, possibly I never mentioned that I hate F/nn/P0e and it being a constant background pairing in reylo fic is a significant source of annoyance to me. It's one of those irritating ships that gets a default assumption everyone ships it and that really gets on my tits, but I don't remember it ever coming up in a way that I had to say anything about it.

[aeide-thea]

#right like. when people make a post about wanting to see whatever and someone recs 1 specific thing #i always feel like the reccer - despite probably feeling real enthusiasm - is missing the point a little

#aside from 'i want more options' (which i DO) #so often i - a person who likes the thing - have read and hated the thing being recced #and i want more and different takes on it! (via elucubrare)

ppl misunderstand me when I say "I want more [thing] in stories". I don't mean "I'm going to love every single one" I mean "I'm very picky and I want more of it in circulation so I can actually choose from a wealth of them and be discerning". I see ppl being like "you say you want more of [this thing] but you don't like [example of it]" YEAH CUZ I'M PICKY!!!!!!!! I have opinions and standards????? not all of them are gonna be the same I wanna be able to look at 100 of them and go "I want these 20" not "I only have 3 to choose from and I don't like any of them" you feel me??????

[iamrhyme]

Download ⬇️, listen 🎧 to, click the heart-shaped ♥️ like button, comment 🗨️ on,and share episode 🔄 376 of the Narrative Podcast across all platforms at the link 🖇️ below 👇https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-376-the-narrative-podcast--62038460

The Narrative Podcast promotes positive reinforcement of original people and original people culture.

The Narrative Podcast provides positive frames of reference about original people and original people culture.

The Narrative Podcast: Changing the Narrative one episode at a time by destroying negative stereotypes about original people and original people culture.

Tune into the Narrative Podcast and become a Narrator.

Let's change the Narrative!

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

✏️ Writing Dialogue That Sounds Like Real People, Not Theater Kids on Red Bull

(a crash course in vibes, verbal economy, and making your characters shut up already)

Okay. We need to talk about dialogue. Specifically: why everyone in your draft sounds like they’re in a high school improv group doing a dramatic reading of Riverdale fanfiction.

Before you panic, this is normal. Early dialogue is almost always too much. Too polished. Too "scripted." So if yours feels off? You’re not failing. You’re just doing Draft Zero Dialogue, and it’s time to revise it like a boss.

Here’s how to fix it.

─────── ✦ ───────

🎭 STEP ONE: DETOX THEATER ENERGY I say this with love: your characters are not all quippy geniuses. They do not need to deliver emotional monologues at every plot beat. They can just say things. Weird, half-finished, awkward things.

Real people:

interrupt each other

trail off mid-thought

dodge questions

contradict themselves

repeat stuff

change the subject randomly

Let your characters sound messy. Not every line needs to sparkle. In fact, the more effort you put into making dialogue ✨perfect✨, the more fake it sounds. Cut 30% of your clever lines and see what happens.

─────── ✦ ───────

🎤 STEP TWO: GIVE EACH CHARACTER A VERBAL FINGERPRINT The fastest way to make dialogue feel alive? Make everyone speak differently. Think rhythm, grammar, vocabulary, tone.

Some dials you can twist:

Long-winded vs. clipped

Formal vs. casual

Emojis of speech: sarcasm, filler words, expletives, slang

Sentence structure: do they talk in fragments? Run-ons? Spirals?

Emotion control: are they blunt, diplomatic, avoidant, performative?

Here’s a shortcut: imagine what your character sounds like over text. Are they the “lol okay” type or the “okie dokie artichokie 🌈✨” one? Now translate that into speech.

─────── ✦ ───────

🧠 STEP THREE: FUNCTION > FILLER Every line of dialogue should do something. Reveal something. Move something. Change something.

Ask:

Does this line push the plot forward?

Does it show character motivation/conflict/dynamic?

Does it create tension, add context, or raise a question?

If it’s just noise? It’s dead air. Cut it. Replace it with a glance. A gesture. A silence that says more.

TIP: look at a dialogue scene and remove every third line. Does the scene still work? Probably better.

─────── ✦ ───────

💥 STEP FOUR: REACTIVITY IS THE GOLD STANDARD Characters don’t talk into a void. They respond. And how they respond = the real juice.

Don’t just write back-and-forth ping pong. Write conflict, dodge, misunderstanding. If one character says something vulnerable, the other might joke. Or ignore it. Or say something cruel. That’s tension.

Dialogue is not just information exchange. It’s emotional strategy.

Try this exercise: A says something revealing. B lies. A notices, but pretends they don’t. B changes the subject. Now you’ve got a real scene.

─────── ✦ ───────

🔍 STEP FIVE: PAY ATTENTION TO POWER Every convo has a power dynamic, even if it’s tiny. Who’s steering? Who’s withholding? Who’s deflecting, chasing, challenging?

Power can shift line to line. That shift = tension. And tension = narrative fuel.

Write conversations like chess matches, not ping pong.

─────── ✦ ───────

✂️ STEP SIX: SCISSORS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND The best dialogue is often the second draft. Or third. Or fourth. First drafts are just you figuring out what everyone wants to say. Later drafts figure out what they actually would say.

Things to cut:

Greetings/closings ("Hi!" "Bye!"--skip it unless it serves tone)

Exposition disguised as chat

Obvious thoughts spoken aloud

Explaining jokes

Repeating what we already know

Readers are smart. Let them fill in blanks.

─────── ✦ ───────

🎧 STEP SEVEN: READ IT OUT LOUD (YES, REALLY) If you hate this step: too bad. It works. Read it. Mumbling is fine. Cringe is part of the ritual.

Ask yourself:

Would someone actually say this?

Does this sound like one person speaking, or a puppet show with one hand?

Where does the rhythm trip? Where’s the breath?

If you can’t say it out loud without wincing, the reader won’t make it either. Respect the vibe.

─────── ✦ ───────

🏁 TL;DR: If you want your dialogue to sound like real people, let your characters be real. Messy. Annoying. Human. Let them interrupt and lie and joke badly and say the wrong thing at the worst time.

Cut the improv class energy. Kill the urge to be ✨brilliant✨. And listen to how people talk when they’re scared, tired, pissed off, in love, or trying not to say what they mean.

That’s where the good stuff is.

—rin t. // thewriteadviceforwriters // official advocate of awkward silences and one-word replies

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

[leifyposting]

*appears as if summoned* did someone say fic recs?

first off, op: really really great points on diluc and the diluc&kaeya relationship. i'll do some rambling about diluc characterization in the tags but for now, here are four fics i think might fit what you're looking for!

this work, from @chidorinnnnn, is THE diluc&kaeya fic in my mind. like, no fic has ever topped this one as a study of their dynamic (and probably no fic ever will). the strange muted understanding. carefully finding your footing. the way things could have been and maybe should have been but aren't, and maybe that's okay too. bonus points for the parallel between their fathers, which you mentioned too

moving on to a more diluc-centric piece, from @dandelion-wings. it is so so hard to find good diluc fic because he is such a strange and contradictory character, but this diluc makes the most sense in my head. featuring genuinely gut-wrenching interactions between the boys (one line in particular tears me up every time) and a build-up to tragedy that rivals macbeth

bit of a different piece here: a modern au in which diluc and kaeya reconcile at the end of the world (tw major character death). i cry every time i read this one. their dynamic in this fic is similar to the first one but more messy - you know, finding your footing with the person who used to be your everything now that you are different people than you used to be, and also the world is ending

i read this more than a year ago and have not stopped thinking about it since. it's a longer read but so worth it. the worldbuilding is so intricate and every character and relationship in here is so beautifully fleshed out - not just diluc and kaeya but also the people of mondstadt and how they relate to one another. this author also has an amazing (and shorter) crepus&kaeya fic that i think you might enjoy

anyway! hope that was helpful. these are my four favourite diluc&kaeya fics ever so i hope you enjoy them! thank you for sharing your thoughts with us as well!

The Genshin Impact fandom is fascinating to me when it comes to fanfics, because I feel like I struggle to find any fics that really *get* the characterization of certain characters and I'm loathed to write my own because dammit I just want to read the specific itch I crave without resorting to creating it. Give me three more months and I'll cave in.

For example, Diluc is one of my favorites and I find his backstory fascinating in terms of his father Crepus possibly being more morally ambiguous than most fans are willing to admit and how little we know of Diluc's murder spree in Snezhnaya.

For example which Harbinger(s) did he have a run-in with? Will we find out more about the secret intelligence network that took him in, that he apparently had a high position in? Did he ever find the answers he was searching for? The list goes on.

It's hard for me to find the specific characterization of him I crave for in fics because I think his platonic relationship with Kaeya is incredibly nuanced and complex but I feel like his character often gets assassinated for Kaeya angst but like, the man had the worst birthday ever?

Imagine being Diluc, living through a literal worst nightmare. Your dad is dead after you failed to protect him yourself. Not only is your dad dead but he died after wielding a delusion--you dont even know what a delusion is but its clearly bad news. Why the fuck did your father have it and how?

On top of this, the Favonius Knights--the organization you proudly served and the very organization that your father heavily encouraged you to serve--insists on covering up the truth because it makes them look bad. The Favonius Knights, who are supposed to be honorable and uphold integrity, are anything but that.

Then your adoptive brother, who you've known for years and trust with your life, shows up and tells you he's been spying for a foreign nation since you were kids with the intent of harming Mondstadt and everything about your relationship is possibly all one big lie and well--how do you not snap??

Now, I'm also incredibly fond of Kaeya and he was just as traumatized by Crepus's death. He was wracked with guilt for *feeling* relieved that he didn't have to worry about betraying his birth father for his adoptive father since Crepus was dead. He anticipated Diluc's anger and felt like their duel was a punishment for his lies.

To me, it hints that Kaeya probably didn't reveal the truth expecting Diluc's understanding, but rather he knew how he would react and perhaps he wanted Diluc to strike him down in that duel. Or at the very least, he wanted to distance himself from Diluc and cut off ties in order to avoid emotional attachment stopping him from his mission.

I personally head-canon that Diluc withdrew upon seeing Kaeya's vision because well--why would the gods bless Kaeya with a vision if he truly had the intent to harm Mondstadt? So in spite of what Kaeya revealed, he isn't a threat. But there's still a lot of hurt there to navigate through.

I think it's fascinating seeing where they stand in present game because Kaeya obviously has the ideology of working the system from within. He stayed in the knights (even taking over his brother's position) and with Jean rooted out the Inspector and his cronies.

Meanwhile Diluc just isn't that type of person. He doesn't settle, he refuses to work in a system he views corrupt, he rather accomplish what he can outside of it. Curiously, he doesn't challenge the status quo beyond being vocal of his distaste of the Knights.

This is head-canon fantasyland, but I like to envision Kaeya and Diluc do use a lot of the same informants and collaborate on intel relating to the safety of Mondstadt (especially since Diluc can move in ways against the Fatui that the Knights can't due to political reasons) but they struggle to have the same connection as before.

For example, Diluc's story quest--Kaeya was essentially giving Diluc an alibi with the Knights. Even if Jean damn well knows who it is, they still have to have official documentation stating otherwise.

Kaeya is good at reading people, he has to be given how he was raised to be a child spy. But I like to think he struggles to read Diluc like before. Diluc is much more jaded, pessimistic, quieter than before. He prefers to work on his own as much as possible. From Kaeya's pov, the only person he's seen Diluc willing to fully trust enough to work alongside with is the Traveler, and he states as much.

The opposite is true of Diluc. Kaeya was his shadow, a quiet but inquisitive, witty observer. Cavalry Captain Kaeya is much more outgoing and friendly, his charm on full display. Did he ever really truly know Kaeya or did he only show Diluc what he wanted him to see? Is Kaeya happier this way?

Fanon often depicts Kaeya as essentially being barred from the dawn winery from the duel by Diluc himself, but I don't think that's quite the case. Much rather, given the reason he told Diluc that night, I think he views himself as undeserving due to unresolved guilt.

Canon seems to hint at all of this through his hangout and Hidden Strife, the latter of which is unfortunately a time-limited event that occurred before I even played (hoyo please stop having heavy lore drops occur in time limited events).

I think the two want to trust each other again, but both are afraid of destroying the tentative truce they have so they leave all of it unaddressed. Kaeya refuses to be completely truthful ever again and Diluc acknowledges the past but refuses to discuss it. The tragedy in their relationship that neither is at fault for what happened--it's a twisted emotional mess of grief and heartbreak.

The last point I'd like to touch on is the parallels between Kaeya and Diluc both being essentially child soldiers for their fathers' causes.

For Kaeya, being abandoned in Mondstadt to be a child spy is the most overt. For Diluc? Despite Crepus's strong ambition to be a Favonius Knight and to have a vision--neither happened for him. In Diluc's vision story, it states that he views his vision being a result of their "shared" ambition, hinting that his vision was granted after Diluc's strong resolve to achieve his father's dreams for him.

We know Crepus heavily encouraged Diluc down this path at very young age, given Diluc received his vision at age 10 and became the youngest Captain at age 14. In some ways, I'm sure Kaeya was a bit jealous of Diluc for having a loving father present in his life that was overtly proud of him.

I am not saying Crepus wasn't a good father, I think he cared immensely for Kaeya and Diluc both, but I do think he did some morally grey shit.

Diluc abandoning his vision is fascinating and it's almost never explored in fics. He is the only vision holder we know of (aside from the Inazumauns whose visions were taken by force) that had their ambition for their vision shaken in such a way that they voluntarily discarded their vision for a time and only took it back after reigniting a new ambition to have it (and as far we know the only allogene that faced no negative setbacks from using a delusion long-term without their vision present).

I don't know where to end all of this, except if you have ragbros fic recommendations that you believe cover it in a more nuanced way, let me know!

[tieflingkisser]

don't let anyone tell you the tiktok ban is not directly related to Palestine because they're literally admitting it:

Blinken blames TikTok and social media for disrupting Israel’s narrative of war in Gaza

Social media sites like TikTok are partly to blame for widespread criticism of Israel’s war effort against Hamas in Gaza, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The comments came as part of a conversation at the McCain Institute’s 2024 Sedona Forum in Sedona, Arizona, between Secretary Blinken and US senator Mitt Romney. The Utah Republican asked the top diplomat why “the PR has been so awful” against Israel since the beginning of the 7 October conflict. “Why has Hamas disappeared in terms of public perception?” he continued. “An offer is on the table for a ceasefire and yet the world is screaming about Israel.” Mr Blinken said that part of the reason for that dynamic was a changing media environment, where people no longer all read from the same authoritative news sources and instead learn about current events on chaotic social media feeds.

[...]

The comments echoed a wider narrative that’s been put forth about critics of Israel in the US, particularly on college campuses: that their criticisms don’t stem from the facts of the conflict, and instead are the product of alarming outside influence. New York mayor Eric Adams recently accused students at universities of falling under the sway of “outside agitators,” though the NYPD has offered little compelling evidence to support that charge. Protesting students interviewed by The Independent said they had been moved to act by seeing images of destruction and suffering caused by Israel in Gaza, with the full backing of the US.

[fromdove]

ㅤㅤ ⁞ 𝓓AMIAN 𝓐L-𝓖HUL-𝓦AYNE

ㅤㅤㅤ𝓦HEN 𝓗E'S 𝓘N 𝓛OVE 𝓗EADCANONS !

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ୨୧

— damian wayne when he's in love hcs ᵎᵎ ⊹ ࣪ ˖

— I know I already did a damian wayne in love hcs but I wanted to do another one ᵎᵎ ⊹ ࣪ ˖

— damian wayne x fem!reader ᵎᵎ ⊹ ࣪ ˖

© fromdove— All rights reserved. Reposting, translation, or modification of these works is strictly prohibited, regardless of whether credit is given.

∿　 　 . `💭` ㆍ

⤷ ok so. first of all. he doesn’t think he falls in love. he thinks he allows himself to be in love. yes. that’s the distinction. he permits the emotional vulnerability to occur. like it’s a security clearance. like the state department signed off on it. like it’s a diplomatic treaty. love with damian is not some flower blooming. it is a classified operation that got out of hand. oops

⤷ and HE’S SO IRRITATING ABOUT YOUR SAFETY. like you want to go to a concert alone and he’s like “no. the venue has three open exits and a history of overcrowding. i’ll accompany you or you’re not going.” and you’re like 😐 and he’s like 🗿

⤷ he doesn’t compliment you like a normal person. he says things like “you’re the only one with a functioning brain in this city” and “your genetic makeup is statistically superior” and “if i had to pick a partner for an international espionage mission i’d pick you.” thanks?? i think???

⤷ dude. alright. listen. you have to understand. this is a boy raised by assassins and billionaires and batman. like he’s not normal. like if you try to do something normal with him he malfunctions. like “do you want to come over and watch a movie” turns into a whole debate about the nature of narrative and also suddenly he’s ordering a projector and rearranging your furniture and asking if the lighting is optimal. like your honor. we were going to watch legally blonde. relax.

⤷ he is in love with you but he’s in denial about it for the first 3–6 business months. he doesn’t say anything. he just starts appearing. you look up and he’s already there. he claims he was “in the area.” he was not. he has never been in the area. he took a grappling hook and an imported black car and made himself be in the area.

⤷ anyways he is sooooooo in love and SOOOOOOOO bad at dealing with it. like yes he grew up training with the league of assassins but no he has not developed a single healthy coping mechanism about feelings. NONE. zero. zilch. love is the final boss. and he’s underleveled

⤷ long stares. long long long. awkwardly long. you’ll be brushing your teeth and look up and he’s just. standing there. arms crossed. watching. “you’re quite graceful. even at mundane tasks.” ok damian what the hell. brush your own teeth and stop making me blush at 7am

⤷ he’s like. weirdly formal?? like you’ll be sitting on his lap playing animal crossing and he’ll be like “you’re very dear to me.” and you’ll be like ok first of all why do you sound like an 18th century count and second of all WHY DID THAT MAKE ME BLUSH

⤷ he calls you beloved. like that’s his go-to. he does not say “babe.” he does not say “sweetie.” he says beloved like he is writing from the war trenches. LMAO. like he’s penning a letter with a quill. “my dearest beloved, war is hell. gotham is colder without you. i miss your lip balm.”

⤷ ALSO he is so clingy. but in his own damian kind of way. like he will never straight up say “i miss you” but he’ll appear outside your window at 3am because you didn’t text back. “i was in the area.” no you weren’t damian

⤷ and when you fight. oh my god you fight. hoo boy. because he’s STUBBORN. and you’re you. and he’ll say something awful and cold and you’ll slam the door and not talk for a week and he’ll act all smug but he’ll show up at your window like “are you done being dramatic?” with a single perfect peach because you once said you liked them and he never forgot. he does end up apologizing formally tho like “i was... wrong. and unkind. i apologize.”

⤷ even if you don't fight crime he will still buy you a 6000 dollar custom-made tactical suit because “i noticed you lacked proper armor.” it’s black. with little green accents. matches his. you cried. he blinked and said “there’s a grappling hook too.” you cried harder. he looked vaguely alarmed and offered you tea

⤷ lowkey kinda unpopular opinion (i think???).....buttttt once you realllyyy get to know him,,, he’s v big on touch. but only in private (!!! he doesn't do pda tbh). arm around your waist when no one’s looking. hand on your lower back. gloved fingers brushing yours like he’s not thinking about it (he is). forehead touches. pulling you into his hoodie. tucking your legs over his lap while he reads. being completely silent while you cry but holding you like he’ll kill whatever made you feel this way. because he will.

⤷ he’s not really a hearts and flowers guy. but like. he’s very much a “i broke a guy’s jaw for looking at you too long” guy. very “i memorized your class schedule and made sure no one sits next to you” guy. very “i learned how to make your favorite soup and now i’m mad you’re not impressed” guy. very “i installed a new security system in your apartment. no you don’t get a say. yes i’m keeping the passcode” guy.

dates??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ok. deserves its own section.

dates with him are like. war strategy. no such thing as casual with him. no. no no. no. everything is intentional. everything is curated. calculated. coordinated. he's like "i made a reservation." and it's at some place with a 3-month waitlist and a single-item menu and food that looks like pebbles. and ur like “could we not have just gotten tacos??” and he’s like “you deserve better than tacos.” .......................................................he says it in the most offhanded way but ur already spinning. ur already sending ur soul to orbit.

like it can be “i booked us fencing lessons in case you get kidnapped again” or “i acquired the rooftop of that patisserie you like because you said you liked the view.” like THANK YOU BATBOY WHAT THE FUCK

he doesn’t --> ask <-- (keyword) you out. no no no. he **TELLS*** you. “we have dinner reservations. 7 sharp. wear something warm.” and you’re like. okay??? damn?? who’s we??? and then it’s just him and you and some obscure albanian place in gotham that “reminds him of a time he interrogated someone in tirana.” romantic!!!

they’re never normal. ever. like my guy why r we eating in an exclusive rooftop garden u rented for me.... and why the actual fuck does it technically belongs to a russian ambassador ???????!!!! HHELLOO?

but also. also. as much as u go to eccentric,,, expensive,, veryyy planned out dates .. you still have dates where u sit on rooftops. you eat mangoes. you say nothing for twenty minutes because he’s comfortable in silence. because you are too. because he touches your ankle with his and that says more than anything.

⤷ he loves graphs. he’s so... annoying. he has a favorites spreadsheet for restaurants. and another for your moods. and another for gifts you've liked. u found it once. he closed the tab too fast. embarrassed. blushing. you teased him for a week.

⤷ once you cried on his shirt and apologized for it and he just. looked at you. like loooooookedddddddd at you. and said “you’re allowed to fall apart. i’ll be here when you do.” and u almost blacked out.

⤷ he talks about the future like it’s inevitable. “when we get a place.” “when we go to xyz.” “when you graduate.” he says it like there’s no version of life that doesn’t include you. like he can’t even imagine it. like it’s already written.

⤷ he doesn’t say “i’m proud of you.” he says: “of course you did. i expected nothing less.” (but the corners of his mouth twitch and his ears turn red. he’s proud. he’s so proud.)

⤷ he gets weird about your birthday. like. insane. he pretends he doesn’t care. he acts like it’s “just another day.” but you walk into your room and there’s a leather-bound copy of your favorite book with your initials embossed in gold. and tickets to an exhibit he overheard you mention one time six months ago. and a note. handwritten. in flawless cursive. that just says: “for everything you are. - d.” stop it damian. i’m going to cry into a cupcake.

⤷ he has no chill. ZERO chill. you are sneezing and he’s like “have you had vitamin C today.” someone looks at you funny and he’s like “i’ll break their jaw.” you say you’re cold and he wordlessly hands you his cape. the WHOLE cape. you’re drowning. he does not care. he thinks it’s cute

⤷ he glares at anyone who flirts with you like he’s deciding whether to break their legs or just ruin them socially. (he will do both. eventually. he’s efficient like that.) and when you tease him for being jealous he’s like “i do not experience jealousy. i experience possessiveness.” ok medieval knight whatever

⤷ also?? he TRIES to be cool and detached but the moment you compliment him? he malfunctions. like you say “you look handsome today” and he scoffs but his ears are red. FULL tomato. “tch. you’re foolish. i look the same every day.” sir you are glowing. you are combusting

⤷ and andddd he’s so so so tender in private. like “i cleaned your shoes for you” tenderness. “i annotated your favorite book with my commentary” tenderness. “i fixed the loose button on your coat” tenderness. he will never SAY “i love you” like a normal person. he will just DO THINGS. and STARE at you. a LOT

⤷ OH and when you get sick it is OVER. done. you’re in bed and suddenly there’s like. imported raw honey. five different teas. a humidifier. night vision cameras installed in case of intruders. he is kneeling at your bedside like a knight. he won’t let you get up for water. “you are in recovery. i’ll bring it to you. stay still.” ok. nurse ratched. love you

⤷ also he pets your hair like you’re a cat. like he will gently run his fingers through it while you talk about your day. doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. you mention it and he goes “your hair calms me.” you melt. obviously. puddle on the floor. he smirks. he knows. bastard

⤷ HE KEEPS THINGS. like. a little doodle you made on a napkin? framed. the necklace you left at his place once? he wears it under his uniform. he keeps it a secret obvi. you didn’t know for 6 months. cried when you somehow found out. obviously

⤷ he texts you "do not walk home alone. wait." and then appears. literally appears. like the wind shifts and suddenly he’s there with a helmet in his hand and a scowl on his face and a thousand unspoken thoughts like “i will kill for you. i will die for you. i will beat up your physics teacher if he makes you cry again.”

⤷ he’ll buy you a 200 dollar first edition of something obscure and then be like “it’s not a gift. i just thought it should be in your collection. don’t get emotional.” meanwhile ur emotional. ur on the floor. ur sobbing in a barnes & noble tote bag. he knows. he smirks. asshole.

⤷ but he notices everything. if you get a haircut. if your eyeliner is different. if your tone was off. if you’re chewing on your nail again. he sees it all. and he remembers. and he’s quietly doing things about it in the background. like refilling your meds or slipping snacks into your bag or hacking into your school portal and fixing a grade because “that teacher was clearly incompetent”

⤷ also. he doesn’t flirt. he argues. you’ll be like “i like this song” and he’ll be like “your taste is objectively inferior” and then buy you front row tickets to that artist’s next concert. he’ll say it’s to “broaden your cultural exposure” but he’s watching you the whole concert like you’re the show. don’t let him lie.

[reidrum]

safety net | b.b.

A/N: screaming nervously into the void bc this is my first bucky fic!!! i am literally on my knees please tell me what u think of it!!!!!! also i'm taking requests for bucky and spencer now <333

summary: in which bucky barnes needs a favor from his favorite senator

cw: smut 18+ minors dni, senator!reader, fingering in the blind spot we are so back baby, pet names, reader gets in her feels at the end sorry

wc: 2.2k

Bucky stands at the top of the stairs of Valentina’s mansion, vibranium hand holding a champagne flute as he surveys the span of the party. He takes slow enough sips to look busy but approachable, waiting for his moment to strike on the target.

It still feels odd for him to play into politics as a congressman, he’s used to fighting fist and bone to get his way and now he’s reduced to his own vocal devices to enact change. It’s harder some days when he has to advocate to a bunch of old senators who are decades beyond their retirement age. Oftentimes he has to dig into his 40’s trivia to be able to make small talk comeplling enough for them to listen.

Other times he can get away with using his reputation as the Winter Soldier—pardoned for being involved in the defeat of Thanos, there are times he finds it lucky to be considered a hero instead of the war criminal narrative he was used to.

Tonight, however, is his most preferred way to play the game of politics.

His eyes finally catch your figure, your silk gown hugging your body in ways he can only be envious of. You’re standing in the middle of the main room, a matching champagne flute in your hand as you charm the policymakers around you.

You are Bucky’s target tonight. You, the senator residing over Valentina’s impeachment case.

Nothing too extreme, just a little convincing on his end. A push in the right direction.

Your laugh carries all the way up the stairs straight into his chest, a warmth blooming through his heart. He tries to convince himself it’s the champagne working through him, but there’s a reason he made sure to get his suit tailored for tonight and put on enough cologne to drown you in it.

He watches you excuse yourself and set your empty glass on a nearby table, lifting the bottom of your dress while you head towards the stairs. He quickly jumps into action and walks a few steps down closer to you, holding out a hand. “It’s good to see you, Senator.”

“Congressman,” your eyes light up in recognition, “likewise. Are you typically waiting for women to struggle their way up the stairs or am I special?”

“You want the diplomatic answer or the truth?” he retorts, letting his hand fall to the small of your back as he guides you up the stairs.

You smirk, “What’s the diplomatic answer?”

“That I’m a good samaritan who didn’t want a colleague to fall over.”

“And the truth?”

Bucky pinches your hip, “Needed to get my hands on you somehow.”

You gasp as you reach the top step, abruptly letting your dress go, “Is that so? You couldn’t just, you know, talk to me?”

“Now what fun would that be, doll?” his arm curls around your hips as soon as you’re both out of sight from the main ballroom. “We do need to talk about something.”

A sigh leaves you before you can help it, “Bucky, I told you there’s nothing more I can do about Valentina’s impeachment. There is no evidence, without anything  she’s not getting nailed for this.”

“I know, I know,” he says softly, “I just need a bit more time. Few days, and there’ll be damning evidence to put her away.”

“You know I can’t do anything to change it.”

Vibranium rests on your other hip, pulling you square with his, “See that’s why I needed to talk to you alone, because I know you can. You’ve done it before.”

“No I haven’t.”

His fingers curl slightly into your dress and raise the hem off the floor. A gentleman above all before he starts walking you back slowly. “I beg to differ, doll. I watched you delay that arms safety bill by five days last week.”

You think back, all the days you spent lobbying and pushing against the opposition. It took a lot of arguing, canvassing, and damn near begging on your part for them to delay as much as you did. If they had voted five days prior, you knew the government would have more blood on their hands than they anticipated, or cared for. You knew it was a worthy cause, and without your efforts a lot of people would be dead because of it.

You could delay Valentina’s case, if you wanted to. It would be easier than the bill. You could read Bucky’s intentions from the millisecond you laid eyes on him. But from the second Bucky found your hand to lead you up the stairs you’ve watched his eyes grow wider and darker in sensation as he talks to you. Like he knows what his end goal is, and he’s hoping you catch on soon too. Lucky for you, you caught on the moment you stepped foot into the mansion at the start of the night.

It’s always a means to an end with Bucky Barnes, the same cat and mouse game you both play that you inherently know is silly but you’re both too wrapped up in the chase of it all to say anything.

“I think someone just needs to prove to you that it’s worth your time.”

“And that’s supposed to be you?”

“I’m whatever you need me to be. Let me show you.”

Your eyes widen and dart across the ceiling as your back meets the wall, “Someone’s going to see us!”

“This is a blind spot, baby don’t worry. I won’t let anyone see anyone see you come, for my eyes only right?” He mouths your ear and works downward, “Will you let me do that? Can I prove it to you?”

“I—I…” you sigh, eyes fluttering shut as his lips latch down onto your neck, “I’m listening.”

He grins into your skin and kisses back up your jaw, landing soundly on your lips capturing them in a hurried yet gentle kiss. He guides your hands to wrap around his neck and lets his own slide down to the swell of your ass.

You feel Bucky imprint his fingers into your flesh and you silently pray there’s proof of it in the morning. Your hips roll on their own accord towards his, desperate for any friction it can find.

“Patience, doll. I got you, I'm gonna take good care of you.” he whispers. You suppress a shiver as you feel his finger trail to the front of your dress, dipping behind the high slit and traveling to the fabric of your panties. A single digit traces a path along the edges of the fabric left to right, ghosting over where you need him the most. He lets his finger press into the center of your core, relishing in the sharp gasp that leaves you.

“Bucky,” you breathe, “please.”

His lips return to the sensitive spot on your neck and the feeling overwhelms you so much that you don’t realize he’s pulled your panties to the side and swiped a finger through your folds.

You moan brokenly at the feeling and Bucky quickly stills his movement, “Shh, don’t want anyone to come find us right? Gotta stay quiet.”

You nod rapidly, willing to agree to the most heinous of crimes if it meant he didn’t stop. You slap a hand over your mouth for emphasis, and the bastard has the audacity to laugh at your efforts to stay quiet.

Bucky’s fingers move through your folds with a guided ease, your core practically dripping in invitation for him to enter. “Did you get this wet just from us talking? If I had known I had that kind of effect on you, I’d have done this to get my way ages ago.”

“That’s all I am to you, right?” your voice raising in octave slightly at the end as he finally sinks a finger into you, “An obstacle to remove? Or use?”

“You wound me doll,” his finger goes about setting a rhythm before another slips in and joins, “but I know you’re smart. And I know that’s not what you think of me.”

The slide of his fingers is enough to set you on the course for delirium, rendering any and every responsibility or obligation that isn’t him obsolete. The pace he sets is downright ridiculous, addicting. His thick fingers leave you wondering and yearning for what it could feel like to be stretched out by him instead.

“And what do I think of you, Barnes?” you try to brave.

He chuckles, his thumb landing and circling your clit,  “Well darling, I think you do hate me. I just think you hate that I can get you like this. That I can make that pretty brain of yours turn to mush the second I get my hands on you.”

You let out a soft whimper and roll your eyes, although it’s counterintuitive because they roll in pleasure for him and not your poorly conceived disdain for him.

Because you know he’s right, god he’s so right it makes you see red. This isn’t the first time you’ve bent your morals for Bucky Barnes, and you know it won’t be the last.

“That’s why you let me have my way with you in the middle of this mansion, where anyone can walk by. You love the thrill of it. You love risking it all, but you love risking it all with me.”

His fingers speed up, “I…Bucky no, I—“ you feign.

“No? So you’d let anyone do this to you?”

Never, you think, there’s not a single person you would let this happen with. Only him, always him.

Vibranium snakes up your throat and cinches around it, forcing your eyes to make contact with his icy blue ones. His other hand continues to pump relentlessly in and out of you, brushing against your clit every few strokes and causing you to break a sweat. “Answer me, sweetheart. You lettin’ anyone touch you like this?”

You languishly shake your head, “No! No, no one. I swear.”

Bucky doesn’t let up on his pace, “Who gets to have you like this, baby?”

The building pleasure imbeds into every neuron in your body, clouding any and every sense in existence until you’re a mess of whimpers and broken moans. 

“Y—You.” you whisper.

His metal hand squeezes around your neck, “Can’t hear you, doll.”

“Buck,” you whimper.

He relishes in your feeble gaze, “This gone on my fingers, makes me wonder how you’ll be cockdrunk on me.”

His thumb circles your clit fervently, adding a third finger and stretching you out with a pain that hurts too good. Your head falls back against the wall as you let him take over, his hand laying firm against your throat to ensure you don’t lose his eyes.

Not that you’d ever want to, for as long as Bucky is willing to play this game or for as long as he’s willing to have you, you would never dare be the one to tap out first. If you could have him in any capacity you would, and you’d let him take as much as he wants if he kept him right between your legs.

You hope he mistakes the budding tears in your eyes for proof of his overwhelming ministrations and not for the vulnerability he threatens to expose with every thrust of his fingers. “ ‘m close.” you pant.

Bucky hums, “Want you to come all over my fingers, doll. Wanna feel you give me everything, can you do that?” 

There’s no voice left in you to give him a response, your body speaking for itself in deep heaves and your arching back. Bucky groans into your neck feeling you clamp down onto his fingers as you reach your peak, working you through the pleasure as it consumes you entirely.

He whispers coos and praises into your ear, “Did so good f’me baby. It’s okay, I got you. Shh, I’m here.” as he anchors you back down to this realm.

Bucky pulls out a handkerchief from his back pocket, because of course he has one, and dabs at your eyes delicately. “Was it too much? I’m sorry if I got carried away, you can always tell me to stop, you know that.” he whispers with worry.

You sniffle and swallow your emotion down, “It was okay, I’m fine don’t worry.”

He doesn’t look convinced, “You sure?”

“Promise.”

“Okay,” he goes about fixing your dress and hair, hands resting at your hips again as he leans in and presses a chaste kiss to your lips, “will you talk to the council, please?

Right, you think, the trial. That’s all this was.

You nod automatically and smile solemnly, “I’ll see what I can do, Buck.”

He doesn’t pick up on your sullen smile, “Thank you, doll. I have to go make some calls, but I’ll talk to you soon, yeah?”

The lump in your throat thickens, “Sure, I’ll be in touch. Good to see you, Congressman.” 

“Likewise, Senator.” he gives your cheek one last kiss before disappearing into the night.

Maybe one day you’ll tell him how you really feel, that one day you’ll feel like it’s worth telling him how much he really means to you.

But so long as Bucky Barnes has an agenda, you are simply not the priority. 

Just an item to tick off.