comment_fic | Thursday: Shadows and Darkness

Good morning, good evening, and welcome! I’m

creepy_shetan, your host for the week. Let's go in the completely opposite direction of Tuesday's theme, shall we?

As a reminder, for January, we will be trying a new posting schedule. Sundays are for Lonely Prompts and sharing the fills that you completed during the week, Tuesdays and Thursdays are for new themes and prompts, and Saturdays will remain a Free for All.

With that being said, ✎ today's theme is shadows and darkness. Time to explore the dark side (of the moon? of the Force? of humor?) and delve into the depths of the shadows. Doom and gloom is optional, of course, but perhaps a goth kid you know can metaphorically shine today. There are those who quite enjoy rain clouds and stormy weather, after all.

Just a few rules:
No more than five prompts in a row.
No more than three prompts in the same fandom.
Use the character's full names and the fandom's full name
No spoilers in prompts for a month after airing, or use the spoiler cut option found here.
If your fill contains spoilers, warn and leave plenty of space, or use the above-mentioned spoiler cut.

Prompts should be formatted as follows: [Use the character's full names and fandom's full name]
Fandom, Character +/ Character, Prompt

Some examples to get the ball rolling...
+ Star Wars, any (+/ any, no incest please), the Dark Side really does have great cookies
+ any movie fandom, any, the blackness and emptiness of outer space
+ X-Men (any 'verse), any (+/ any), "...Dude. That's dark."

We are now using AO3 to bookmark filled prompts. If you fill a prompt and post it to AO3 please add it to the Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2024 collection. See further notes on this option here.

Not feeling any of today’s prompts? You can use LJ’s advanced search options to limit keyword results to only comments in this community.

While the use of LJ's advanced search options is available, bookmarking the links of prompts you like might work better for searching in the future.

If you are viewing this post on our Dreamwidth site, please know that fills posted here will not show up as comments on our LiveJournal site, but you are still more than welcome to participate. =)

If you have a Dreamwidth account and would feel more comfortable participating there, please feel free to do so… and spread the word! comment_fic

tag="shadows and darkness"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

nagi_schwarz

Any, any, two blades clash in the darkness (Who - Moonbin and Sanha)

From:

nagi_schwarz

Any, any, the shadow that was chasing you (Who - Moonbin and Sanha)

From:

nagi_schwarz

Any, any, the shadow that stands by our side (Your Spirit’s Alive - Dropkick Murphy’s)

From:

nagi_schwarz

Any, any, hello darkness my old friend (The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel)

From:

smallhobbit

The darkness appealed to him. It suited his mood; in the darkness no-one expected him to be cheerful or positive. It suited his thoughts about the man he was going to meet, a man who would betray any colleague for the right price. And now they’d arranged to meet up, because this man had come to him with a deal so good it was impossible to refuse. Even as Lucas sighted the man, he ensured he remained hidden by the shadows. Which was as well, for the man had not come alone. Lucas fired a single shot, and the man fell. Then he retreated in the covering darkness. Let the man’s companions deal with him now.

From:

nagi_schwarz

Thank you for this fill! Lucas’s job is inherently dark in many ways, but some moments are darker than most. This was a sobering and well-written reminder.

From:

smallhobbit

Thank you. Yes, there are dark times. In this case it was a case of him or me.

From:

creepy_shetan

Aww, Lucas. =( The guy didn't sound like someone you'd want to know, but still...

From:

smallhobbit

Lucas had little alternative in this case.

From:

nagi_schwarz

Any, any, The Darkness AU

From:

brumeier

The Heart of Darkness

From:

nagi_schwarz

This was absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much!

From:

brumeier

I'm pleased you liked it! Thank you for the cool prompt!

From:

jupiter2932

Any, any, But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. (LOTR)

From:

cornerofmadness

The Owl House, Hunter + any, Belos lives like a darkness in his mind (x-posted)

From:

cornerofmadness

Prodigal Son, Malcolm Bright + any, he can't escape the darkness of his father's murders

From:

cornerofmadness

Buffyverse, Angel + any, he's lived so long in the shadows (x posted)

From:

badly_knitted

For more than two hundred and thirty years, Angel’s entire existence had been confined to the hours of darkness, hunting and feeding by night, hiding away during the day, safe from the burning rays of the sun. He’d lurked in the shadows, stalked the moonlit streets, revelling in his demonic nature until the gypsies had cursed him by restoring his human soul. But even then, the shadows had spelled safety, wrapping around him like a familiar blanket, hiding him from the world.

Darkness was all he knew, the black depths of his soullessness, the myriad shades of night, the dark despair of guilt and shame, until she came into his life. Buffy Summers, the Slayer, with her hair the color of sunlight, and an innocence that burned him with the sweetest pain he could imagine. She brought light into his life, forced him out of the shadows, as far as was safe for a creature of the night, made him live again for a time, socialising with people, learning to trust and depend on others.

Then he’d taken living a step too far, falling in love, inviting Buffy into his bed, unknowingly sacrificing the best part of himself, his soul, and returning to his evil ways. Once again, he’d wrapped the shadows around himself like a cloak, stalking Buffy and her friends, tormenting them, glorying in their terror…

Thinking back on that time made him shudder with self-disgust. It didn’t matter that technically he wasn’t the one responsible for those depraved acts; it was his body, ruled by the demon inside, and it was his fault that his soul was no longer there to control the monster he’d all but invited to take up residence within him, back when he’d still been human.

Getting his soul back a second time was a gift he hadn’t deserved, and spending untold aeons in a Hell dimension was a fitting punishment. It still wasn’t enough to make up for all his vampire self’s crimes against humans, for all the sadistic acts he’d carried out for his own, or at the least the demon’s, pleasure, but it went some way towards making amends. True restitution would no doubt take him until the end of eternity, but it was a price he was willing to pay, dedicating his existence to helping others, and to battling evil in all its many forms, even though his help was only available after dark, or away from the sun’s rays. Still, as with vampires, most monsters preferred the hours of darkness anyway.

But now, everything had suddenly changed. This wasn’t the same as when he’d worn the Gem of Amara; then, when he’d walked in daylight, he’d felt that he carried the shadows with him, shielding him from the light that would harm him. He’d destroyed the ring because it was too much of a temptation, he’d been afraid that he might grow too accustomed to the freedom it allowed him, that it might, in the end, make him forget that he wasn’t like other people. He couldn’t take that risk, couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

Perhaps that was why suddenly finding himself completely human again came as such a shock. The demon was gone, and he was alive, which shouldn’t have been possible. He was breathing, his heart was beating, pounding with exhilaration and terror…

He could barely remember what it was like to live, it had been so long. It was disconcerting, wonderful and peculiarly uncomfortable at the same time. So many more sensations than he could recall experiencing as a vampire, while at the same time, his senses were oddly dulled, his hearing, his eyesight, his sense of smell… Taste was a different matter, the flavors of food overwhelming, if not always pleasant.

Going outside in daylight was more difficult than he’d anticipated. He’d lived so long in the shadows that the thought of exposing himself to the sun made his heart race, his palms sweat, and his knees go weak. For almost as long as he could remember, shadows and darkness had spelled safety, while sunlight was something to be avoided at all costs. But it wasn’t that way for humans, and he was human now; he didn’t need to fear the sun’s rays, and yet he still did.

Part of him ached to feel the warmth on his skin, but another part of him remembered the pain of burning, his flesh bursting into flame, shrivelling, blackening… Although he knew that was unlikely to happen now, he still flinched back from the brilliance that hurt his eyes, the vivid blue of the sky overhead, and the heat he could feel even in the shelter provided by the doorway.

He might have stood there hesitating for hours, but for one thing: Buffy. She was still in L.A., and he couldn’t let her leave without telling her the amazing, all but unbelievable news. But in order to tell her, he first had to find her, and he couldn’t do that if he was too afraid to set foot outside.

Fixing in his mind the image of Buffy shining in the sunlight, a dazzling vision of golden hair and warm, lightly tanned skin, Angel sucked in a deep breath, steeled himself, and stepped from the shadows into the light.

The End

From:

cornerofmadness

This was great, thanks so very much. I love it

From:

badly_knitted

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

From:

brumeier

Any, Any,

Got me straight up drinkin' from the barrel
I've been losin' hours
Singin' sad songs underneath the gallows
Runnin' from my shadow
(Macklemore)

From:

brumeier

Any, Any, Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

From:

brumeier

Stargate Atlantis, Any, there are lines they never thought they'd cross...until they did

From:

brumeier

Any Kpop or Kdrama, Any +/ Any, confessions under cover of darkness

From:

nagi_schwarz

“I like you.” Yul could only say it under cover of darkness, in the small hours of the night.

His homeroom teacher, Miss Haena, was curled up on his bed, deep asleep, in the form of a cute little white-and-brown terrier.

Her family was cursed. If any of them kissed anyone of the opposite sex, they turned into a dog every night from midnight till six in the morning. The only way to stop the transformations was for the person they’d kissed to kiss them back — while they were in dog form.

If Miss Haena didn’t manage to get the man she’d mistakenly (drunkenly) kissed to kiss her back before one hundred days after their first kiss, she’d be stuck as a dog for the rest of her life.

The man Miss Haena had kissed was Yul’s uncle, who also happened to be his math teacher.

His uncle was terrified of dogs.

Even though Miss Haena’s dog form was small and adorable, his uncle would never willingly come close to her.

Yul was supposed to sneak her into his uncle’s room while he was sleeping so she could kiss him in dog form and break the curse.

But he wanted just one more night with her, even like this.

“I like you,” he whispered, gazing at her where she was curled up nose to tail, hopefully having happy doggy dreams. “I’d kiss you in a heartbeat.”

But she didn’t like him. He was just one of her students, a stupid little kid in her eyes.

So he petted her soft fur and then sprawled out on the floor beside the bed and promised himself he’d help her break the curse tomorrow.

From:

brumeier

Aww. Poor Yul. It's hard to be in a one-sided romance. I hope he doesn't keep Haena waiting too long.

Thank you so much for this fill! It's very sweet and angsty!

From:

nagi_schwarz

You’re so welcome! I felt bad for little Yul third-wheeling while his crush and his uncle flirted and were all cute with each other, but of course he could not date his homeroom teacher.

He does help her the next night, only it turns out that his uncle has to be awake for the kiss to count.

From:

dealer_of_aus_666

Boku no Hero Academia aka My Hero Academia, Chisaki Kai aka Overhaul (+/ any Shie Hassaikai character except for Eri or Pops), "Your mind must be a dark, dark place."

From:

dealer_of_aus_666

Any, any, dark as good and light as evil

From:

creepy_shetan

Star Wars, any (+/ any, no incest please), the Dark Side really does have great cookies

From:

creepy_shetan

any movie fandom, any, the blackness and emptiness of outer space

From:

creepy_shetan

X-Men (any 'verse), any (+/ any), "...Dude. That's dark."

Edited Date: 2024-01-11 08:32 am (UTC)

From:

creepy_shetan

author's choice, any, walking down a shadowy street, alley, hallway, garden path, etc

From:

nsfwords

This helped inspire the 7th story for my OtherWorldly series, and is 670 words:

Behind the red door at Barbed Wire was a dimly lit hallway, walls papered in moody
black and purple damask with flickering sconces throwing light in small pools just
beside each heavy mahogany door. Carnelle had a bizarre moment of dissonance as she
compared this darkly sensual hall to the generic grey stretch of hallway she’d
traversed earlier in the day.

She released Costa’s hand as they cleared the threshold, confident he’d follow her to
the room of her choice. They walked the hall and she let her long, elegant fingers
flick across discreet “do not disturb” signs hanging from several crystal doorknobs.
They found a room towards the end of the hall, and she pulled their own sign from a
pocket by the frame, hanging it delicately on the knob before entering after Costa and
shutting the door behind them.

Continue reading...

From:

creepy_shetan

Sorry for the belated reply, but thank you for the fill! I just got the chance to read it, and your OCs sound fun and interesting. ^_^ (And your urban fantasy world, too!) Reading one part in the middle of things, I could follow the story without any confusion, btw. Nice work!

From:

nsfwords

>>Reading one part in the middle of things, I could follow the story without any confusion, btw.<<

This is fantastic feedback, thank you! As someone who tends to write in episodic chunks, I do worry that they’ll be hard to follow.