#shadow writes things

[storiesbyshadow]

It's The Little Things

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Rating: Mature

Tags: Slight Angst if you squint, Fluff, Secret Admirer, and honestly I think that's it. Let me know if I missed one.

Word Count: 500+

Written For: @julybreakbingo

Square Filled: N2 - Secret Admirer

Dividers By: Bucky Divider - @super-marvel-dc and Support Divider - @cafekitsune

Bucky Barnes wasn’t used to kindness. Not the kind that came wrapped in ribbon and hope.

It started with a mug.

Left on the shared Avenger’s kitchen counter, it was plain black with white letters: “I Like My Coffee Like I Like My Past: Behind Me.” The first time he saw it, Bucky blinked in surprise. A sticky note was attached.

"Thought you’d get a kick out of this. No one said healing couldn’t come with caffeine." -A Friend

He washed the new one and used it anyway.

He looked around the kitchen, half-expecting someone to jump out and confess, but the room was empty. He hadn’t told anyone, but the old mug he usually used had cracked last week.

Was this just a coincidence?

The next week, a small potted succulent appeared on his windowsill in his room. Another note lay beside it.

“Even shadows deserve sunlight. Don’t forget to open the blinds.”

He stared at the plant for a long time. It was hardy, low maintenance, and something that could survive even if neglected for a while. Somehow, that felt...familiar.

More gifts followed. A first edition of The Hobbit that he mentioned in passing during a conversation with Sam. A pack of old vinyl records he thought no one cared about. A handmade bracelet woven in blue and silver was tucked neatly into his locker one afternoon. And as always, there was a note. Never signed, never a clue to who was behind them. Just warm, simple words that always managed to touch the parts of Bucky he kept hidden.

He didn’t know how to react.

The Winter Soldier had never gotten gifts. James Barnes, the man trying so hard to remember who he really was, hadn’t expected anyone to care enough.

By the time the sixth note appeared, left beside a fresh pastry on a paper plate, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“You looked tired this morning. I hope this makes your day a little easier. You’re doing better than you think.”

It wasn’t just kindness anymore. It was someone seeing him. Someone paying attention to the way his shoulders slumped, how he lingered too long in the training room, how he sometimes forgot to eat breakfast.

He started keeping the notes in a box in his drawer.

Bucky wasn’t exactly known for subtlety, so when he asked Friday to trace fingerprints or camera footage, the AI simply replied:

“Per the sender’s encrypted privacy request, all records related to the gifts have been redacted. Respectfully, maybe enjoy the mystery?”

Bucky sighed.

But the mystery tugged at him.

Eventually, he changed his approach.

He left a note of his own, right where the gifts always appeared.

“You don’t have to stay hidden. Whoever you are... thank you. You make my days feel lighter. I’d like to return the favor. I’ll be on the rooftop at 8 p.m. tonight. If you’re not ready, I understand.”

He waited.

The sky above the compound turned golden, then indigo, and stars flickered awake. Bucky stood alone with his hands in his pockets, heart awkwardly caught between dread and hope.

Then he heard the door open.

You stepped out slowly, biting your lip and clutching something behind your back. “Hey,” you said, voice uncertain.

He turned and softened instantly. “It’s you.”

You smiled, sheepish. “I didn’t think you’d figure it out.”

“I didn’t,” he admitted. “I just hoped.”

Silence stretched between you as you walked closer. Then you held out what you’d brought. This time it was a small journal with a leather cover. Inside were empty pages, except for the first one.

“For new beginnings. For letting yourself dream again.”

Bucky looked up at you, emotions swirling in his stormy-blue eyes.

“I’ve never had anyone do what you did,” he said quietly. “All those little things... they meant more than I can say.”

You hesitated, searching his face. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you. I just wanted you to know you were cared about. That you deserve softness, too.”

A long beat passed. Then Bucky took a step closer.

“You ever think about letting someone care about you in return?”

Your breath caught. “Sometimes.”

“Well,” he said, almost smiling, “maybe we can try... together.”

He held out his hand.

And when you took it, he swore it felt like the first time in a very long time that something in his soul began to bloom again.

[sanguinarysanguinity]

Expanding a thought from a conversation this morning:

In general, I think "Is X out-of-character?" is not a terribly useful question for a writer. It shuts down possibility, and interesting directions you could take a character.

A better question, I believe, is "What would it take for Character to do X?" What extremity would she find herself in, where X starts to look like a good idea? What loyalties or fears leave him with X as his only option? THAT'S where a potentially interesting story lies.

In practice, I find that you can often justify much more from a character than you initially dreamed you could: some of my best stories come from "What might drive Character to do [thing he would never do]?" As long as you make it clear to the reader what the hell pushed your character to this point, you've got the seed of a compelling story on your hands.

[raynewolferune]

DC x DP Prompt: Bruce is bad at emoting but at least ghosts are empathic (too bad bat kids are not)

Was reading Twincognito on AO3 when I stumbled across this gem again:

~

" “Danny, Tim. I was just…checking in. Is everything alright?” Curse his inability to make meaningful conversation when it wasn’t a life or death situation.

They glanced at each other and shrugged.

Then Danny hauled himself out of the bed and walked over to Bruce.

Bruce tried not to let too much excitement show on his face. "

~

Now I really want to read a story where Bruce adopts Danny post Meta trafficking and is being his usual emotionally constipated self. His kids keep getting mad at him because he's treating their new meta brother who was trafficked poorly (generally being stilted in conversation with him, walking away hurriedly mid-conversation, avoiding Danny when he's feeling really awkward, etc). They think Bruce is discriminating against Danny for being a civilian, meta, dealer's pick, but really it's just Bruce being horribly socially awkward. Danny knows this because of ghost empathy and find the whole thing hilarious. The whole thing comes to a head with the Bat Kids staging an intervention in the Bat Cave.

[milkamel]

Finally part 3! Gonna take a break after this one unless I have more ideas lol Anyway Smilk isn't the best example of how you're supposed to keep people you find endearing close-

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

Hedghodg Snugglz

[brandirecognition]

SPIKED PUNCH!! a sonic fancomic

the master emerald goes missing, and it's up to our intrepid heroes to solve the grand mystery

[quadrantadvisor]

Even after learning their secret identities, the hero community always insisted that there was something inhuman about the bats. No one doubted that their intensive training had a lot to do with it, but it never quite explained how they could evade a Kryptonian's super senses, how they could melt into shadows, how they could function so long with little food, little rest, little oxygen if need be. Most people dismissed their uneasy feelings, but there was something strange about the bats, something uncanny, something that made them different from the arrows and other vanilla human members. And, slowly enough that no one really noticed, it was getting stronger.

Until one day, during a diplomatic meeting with the ruler of the Infinite Realms, when High King Phantom turned to Batman and his brood and literally brightened. "Oh! I didn't know you had liminal members!"

Or: through a variety of factors (proximity to death, their own death/near death experiences, exposure to the Lazarus Pits, the favor of Lady Gotham, immersion in Gotham's own cursed ambient ectoplasm, being a close knit group who continued to expose eachother, etc.) the batfamily have been becoming liminal/ecto-contaminated without noticing. The powers they're developing have been subtle, and align with the skills they expect to have, so no one brought it up when they started being able to hold their breath beyond human limitations, or got so sneaky that they literally seemed invisible, or had a lucky miss when they expected a bullet to go right through them. And they always exuded an unsettling aura of fear, so no one else thought anything was out of the ordinary either. By the time they meet Danny, Gotham counts as one of the most fiercely defended ghost haunts on the planet, with so many territorial liminals patrolling the streets.

[bluerosefox]

Little Grayson and his Talon Knights

Got a new idea cooking in my head.

Another DPxDC idea.

A reborn into DCverse Toddler!Danny but also Dad!Dick and Talons.

Danny is reborn into the DCverse (either he's a clone of Dick, a created test tube baby, OR a kid Dick unknowingly had during his amnesia year) and wakes up in the Court of Owls who finally have their Gray Son and will turn him into the greatest Talon ever.

Thing is, Danny still has his ghost powers (King Danny? Idk leaving it open, either that or just able to control clean ectoplasm) and knows whatever fruitloops have him, this will not be fun. So, when none of the Owls are watching him, he uses his abilities to influence a few Talons and they all book it out of the place.

Danny later finds himself walking the dirty Gotham streets with a few Talons, one holding his hand while the others hide in the shadows in case they need to protect the baby Talon they all care for.

Of course, the sighting of a Talon holding a toddler's hand catches the camera's and Oracles attention very very fast.

One of the Batboys is sent out, not Dick he's on a space mission right now, and whoever it is, is shocked to see a toddler that has a LOT of similarities to Dick.

[dimeadozencows]

I redrew rambs sprites is there a power strip emoji

🔌 does this count

The descriptions I gave each expression are what they're called in the files :]

Like and subscribe if you'd shed a tear for a bloke who does fuck all

[teethlordd]

There are worms in my head

[tryingonametaphor]

Why Will Byers?

An analysis and theory on why Henry/Vecna targeted Will first in season 1 and his plans for Will in season 5

‼️Contains The First Shadow (TFS) spoilers so please proceed with caution.‼️

This is going to be a little long but I’ve tried to give as much context as I can without actually being able to show snippets from the stage play. This is my interpretation of everything that went down as a member of the audience and not as someone who has read up any theories about TFS before. To understand why Henry took Will first in 1983, we have to start with -

Henry and Joyce

From all the times I’ve watched TFS, the one thing that has stuck with me is the final conversation Henry has with Joyce. It’s just before his last confrontation with Patty Newby and before he joins Brenner for good. Joyce is the last person (who doesn’t know about Henry’s powers) that he canonically talks to.

Throughout the entire play Joyce, Hopper, and Bob are investigating the animals dying at the hands of Henry and come to the conclusion that Victor Creel has been the one doing the killing. They get so close to solving the case. In her last conversation with Henry, Joyce tries to comfort him by saying that Victor will pay for his crimes - which makes Henry laugh because she’s so close yet so far from the truth. He gets a little frustrated and says something along the lines of “You don’t get it. But someday you will.” (edit 28/9: the exact dialogue is [Henry: you’re too nice. that is how they’ll get you. you have to learn to do anything you can to protect the ones you love] [Joyce: I don’t understand.] [Henry: You will.]) The next time we see Henry make a reappearance in Joyce’s life is during -

The Vanishing of Will Byers

Will is taken into the Upside Down (UD) by Henry. It’s not even a question anymore. All of the context clues from 1x1 lead us to believe that Will’s kidnapping was not by a demogorgon. Will - a 12 year old - miraculously survives a week in the upside down with no food or water. Will is even around the demogorgon a few times in the Upside Down. (Joyce communicating with Will through the lights and then the demogorgon coming after her immediately).

Barb dies the night she is taken but Will stays alive and also somehow manages to talk to Joyce through the wall. Joyce is led exactly to where Will was held at the end of s1 and he makes it out alive. It’s almost as if Henry knew all along that Joyce was the most capable of never giving up on finding her son. Like Henry took Will Byers because he was Joyce’s son. And like he was giving her just enough to know that Will was alive. Even when Joyce and Hopper find him at the end in a state of near death, he’s not injured by a creature. He was being prepared for the next stage of Vecna’s plan -

The Possession of Will Byers

The origins of Henry’s powers happen as such - As a kid, he is transported into the UD (originally coined Dimension X by the government) for a few hours because he touched something he wasn’t meant to touch. During his time in there, he came in contact with the Mind Flayer (MF). According to TFS this is the point in his life when he started getting “corrupted”. Brenner’s dad - who was one of the first people to enter dimension X - had mutated blood after but no powers. Henry was the first person to come in contact with the MF and it’s highly likely he got his powers because of this (This would also track considering how most of the party has been in the UD now but show no signs of having powers). The MF controls Henry for the rest of TFS and Henry grows more power hungry the more he kills.

In S2, Henry presumably sends the MF after Will - who has now had a year to heal from the events of 1983. Will is the only other person in all of ST to have had direct contact with the MF and survived it. Henry didn’t hesitate to kill Billy in S3, but he always gives everyone just enough to keep Will safe. Will himself tells Owens in S2 that the MF wants to kill everyone except him. Will once again survives the entire ordeal and is given a “break” for the next 2 seasons. Except I don’t believe he’s been just given a break. I think Will is -

Henry’s Sleeper Agent.

Ready to awaken in s5. I undoubtedly think that Will is going to have powers. And I don’t think they’re going to be the same as Henry and El. El and the other lab kids get their powers directly from Henry. Will’s powers will be directly from the MF like Henry. I believe this has been Henry’s plan all along and it’s further affirmed by what he tells Will in the recent VR game. That Will will be the key to Henry being able to infiltrate his friends’ minds. Jamie Campbell-Bower also mentioned during the S4 press that to get in character, he set up a display with all of Henry’s victims and targets’ faces on his wall(?), and Will was in the center.

Henry is going to use his connection with Will sneakily and midway through S5 he’s going to awaken Will’s powers (maybe in ep4 - which is said to be titled ‘Sorcerer’ and has young Will in it). Henry is going to try and manipulate his way into making an ally out of Will, and it’s not going to work because -

Will is the Perfect Character Foil.

Will is everything Henry could have been if he had a better support system. He is the perfect character foil. Unlike Henry, Will has a mother who loves him unconditionally and more importantly, believes him. Unlike Henry, the person who Will loves the most (the Patty to Will’s Henry: Mike) is going to love him back and stay by his side all season. No one is going to force them to be apart the way Henry was told to stay away from Patty. Will is not going to be easily swayed even though Henry has spent years crafting him into the perfect soldier. Sure, Henry has seen him heartbroken and sad, but that comes nowhere near to the amount of love and support Will is going to get from his people next season. And they’re going to quite literally defeat Vecna with the power of love and friendship. After that, Will Byers is getting the happy ending that Henry could have gotten.

[storiesbyshadow]

Starlight Waltz

Fandom: Love and Deepspace

Pairing: Zayne x Reader

Rating: Teen

Tags: Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Picnic, Stargazing, Dancing, Kissing

Word Count: 500+

Written For: @fluffyjuly

Day 1 Prompt: "May I have this dance?"

Dividers By: Zayne Divider - @thecutestgrotto | Support Divider - @cafekitsune

You weren’t sure what to expect when Zayne told you to clear your evening. His message had been vague. Just a simple, “Wear something warm and meet me at 7. Trust me.”

And of course, you did. You always trusted him.

As your car wound its way up the quiet hillside road, the sky went from honey-gold to a deep indigo. The world felt quieter here, far from city lights and digital chatter. The only sounds were the distant rustle of wind through trees and the occasional crunch of tires on gravel.

You pulled up to a small clearing near the top of the hill, your headlights catching glimpses of something set up just ahead. A soft glow flickered in the darkness. Warm lanterns hanging from tree branches, suspended like fallen stars caught in the leaves. Your breath caught in your throat.

And then you saw him.

Zayne stood in the center of it all, facing the horizon. He was wearing dark slacks, a midnight-blue button-up with the sleeves casually rolled to his forearms, and his hair… it looked like he’d run his fingers through it one too many times, in that thoughtful way of his. He turned when he heard your footsteps.

His instant smile made your breath hitch. That smile, that slow, melting smile he only ever gave you, lit up his entire face.

"You’re right on time," he said softly, his eyes roaming over you with something tender behind them.

You looked around at the picnic setup beneath the old oak tree. A soft quilt spread across the grass, cushioned with pillows, surrounded by low glass lanterns and little fairy lights strung up in the branches. The scent of something sweet drifted in the cool air. He brought pastries, the ones you pointed out and said you wanted to try. Still warm.

"Zayne…" you whispered, overwhelmed. "Did you really do all this?"

He nodded, walking up and gently taking your hand. "You’ve been working so hard lately. You deserve something special. I just wanted tonight to be peaceful. Just you, me, and the stars."

Your chest tightened at the sincerity in his voice. He helped you sit down on the quilt, opened a thermos of hot cocoa, and handed you a mug with a little swirl of whipped cream on top. You both sipped in comfortable silence, watching the last sliver of sun fade into a velvet sky.

You talked for hours about books, about the missions you’d both been on lately, about nothing and everything. The more you spoke, the more you forgot the world beyond that hill even existed. He reached over at one point and tucked a lock of hair behind your ear, his fingertips lingering at your cheek.

When you looked up, the stars had bloomed fully above you, thousands of them, glittering like someone had spilled diamonds across the night sky.

Zayne stood and offered you his hand. "May I have this dance?"

You blinked, half-laughing. "Here? Now?"

He raised a brow. "Are you really surprised?"

Your heart fluttered as you placed your hand in his. "No. I’m just… kind of in awe of you right now."

He didn’t say anything, just gently pulled you close. One hand settled at the small of your back, the other held your hand with such care, like you were something fragile and precious. You moved together slowly, swaying beneath the night sky, your bodies close, the world quiet around you.

There was no music. Just the sound of your heartbeats and the gentle breeze.

"Dr. Zayne, did you learn how to dance just for tonight?" you asked softly, your cheek resting against his shoulder.

He hesitated, then murmured, "I looked up a few tutorials. Practiced alone in my apartment for a few nights. Embarrassing, I know."

You pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, soft and shimmering with starlight. "It’s not embarrassing. It’s… honestly the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me."

A faint blush crept into his cheeks, and he leaned in, his forehead brushing yours. "I didn’t want to just tell you how I feel. I wanted to show you."

You were so close now, breathing the same air, your bodies pressed gently together in time with the silent rhythm of the stars. You could feel every rise and fall of his chest… every emotion too big for words.

So you kissed him.

Slow and tender. His hand slid up to cradle the back of your head, like he didn’t want to let you go. And in that moment, with his lips on yours and the universe twinkling above, you didn’t want to be anywhere else ever again.

When the kiss broke, you stayed in his arms, your eyes closed, your forehead resting against his.

"Let’s stay like this a little longer," you whispered.

Zayne held you tighter. "Let’s stay like this… always."

[opens-up-4-nobody]

Something something Merlin is Arthur's bane.

[rollingeevee]

Got this idea a while ago while listening to this song

Shadow Milk managing to muster enough strength inside the Silver Tree to reach out to one person. A cautious Witch child studying Dark Moon Magic, which draws its power from the Dark Side of the Moon, which Shadow Milk states is his home. Through his charisma and Deceit, he manages to form a bond with this Witch child as they grow older and older. He eventually convinces them to come down to Earthbread to aide him and the other Beasts in escaping the Silver Tree. As the Beasts were imprisoned long ago, the Witches likely no longer speak of them, and if they do, it’s probably through legend, especially since they existed long before the Ancient cookies and barely anyone on Earthbread knows of them anymore.

Very

“You… tricked me…”

“Tricked you? Oh, no, no, no, silly! No, I saved you! :)”

Vibes

Anyways, I also wrote a blurb that went along with that so I’ll add that as well YEET

You could feel yourself drifting away from the cookie. It’s likely the sun was rising. Your body was waking. “I gotta go, Milky.” You said sadly.

You didn’t notice the large blue cookie’s slit pupils further thin. Before he could stop himself, he blurted in a deafeningly angry tone, “N O !”

He realized his mistake when he saw you back away slightly, your face contorting in fear. Oh dear, he broke character! My, he really was out of practice, wasn’t he? Silly Shadow Milk. He placed his hand over his Soul Jam and bowed a bit in a gesture of apology. “Oh, I’m so so sorry, little witchlet! I’ve just been alone for sooooo long that the thought of you leaving terrified me to no end!” He whined dramatically, the back of his hand against his forehead as though he just might faint in despair. “Please forgive me!”

After a bit, you seemed to calm down. You still looked a little wary, but there was now sympathy in your eyes. You were rather emotionally intelligent for a child it seemed. “What if I come back tomorrow?”

Shadow Milk readily allowed the giddy expression to grace his face. Oh, this was perfect, perfect, perfect! He playfully tapped his chin in thought. “What if you come back… every night?” He suggested.

You giggled. “Okie!”

He held out his humanized hand, pinkie outstretched. “Pinkie promise?” He asked.

You locked your pinkie with his. “Pinkie promise!” You agreed with a smile. His eyes seemed to glow with delight at your answer.

Children were oh-so easy to trick.

Btw I’m sorry if I’m posting a bunch I’m just like- so excited that people have been liking the stuff I post AAAAAA

[neometalharbor]

team dark besties moment <3

[shadowlinktheshadow]

green fans eating real good these two days