diff --git a/app/Console/Commands/DebugPlaywright.php b/app/Console/Commands/DebugPlaywright.php
index 393b240..d017015 100644
--- a/app/Console/Commands/DebugPlaywright.php
+++ b/app/Console/Commands/DebugPlaywright.php
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ namespace App\Console\Commands;
 use Illuminate\Console\Attributes\Description;
 use Illuminate\Console\Attributes\Signature;
 
-#[Signature('app:debug-playwright')]
+#[Signature('direct:debug-playwright')]
 #[Description('Command description')]
 class DebugPlaywright extends RunsPlaywrightScript
 {
diff --git a/app/Console/Commands/ScrapeDirectMessages.php b/app/Console/Commands/ScrapeDirectMessages.php
index 22a4885..ccdbc43 100644
--- a/app/Console/Commands/ScrapeDirectMessages.php
+++ b/app/Console/Commands/ScrapeDirectMessages.php
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class ScrapeDirectMessages extends RunsPlaywrightScript
                     'shared_preview_image' => $message['share']['preview_image'] ?? null,
                     'shared_title' => $message['share']['title'] ?? null,
                     'shared_caption' => $message['share']['caption'] ?? null,
+                    'attachments' => $message['attachments'] ?? null,
                     'reactions' => $message['reactions'],
                     'replied_to_id' => $message['replied_to_id'],
                     'replied_to_text' => $message['replied_to_text'],
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/StoryController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/StoryController.php
index 7f2369e..c496ed4 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/StoryController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/StoryController.php
@@ -69,4 +69,33 @@ class StoryController extends Controller
         Story::where('id', $id)->update(['viewed_at' => now()]);
         return response()->json(['ok' => true]);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Fetch a single story item by its own id, regardless of whether it's
+     * still active — used for opening a story someone shared in a DM long
+     * after it expired from the live tray.
+     */
+    public function showItem(string $id): JsonResponse
+    {
+        $item = Story::find($id);
+
+        if (! $item) {
+            return response()->json(['message' => 'Story not found.'], 404);
+        }
+
+        return response()->json([
+            'username' => $item->username,
+            'profile_pic_url' => $item->profile_pic_url,
+            'start_index' => 0,
+            'items' => [[
+                'id' => $item->id,
+                'code' => $item->code,
+                'is_video' => $item->is_video,
+                'image_url' => $item->image_url,
+                'video_url' => $item->video_url,
+                'accessibility_caption' => $item->accessibility_caption,
+                'taken_at' => $item->taken_at,
+            ]],
+        ]);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/ThreadController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/ThreadController.php
index d047a12..78719cb 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/ThreadController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/ThreadController.php
@@ -4,10 +4,25 @@ namespace App\Http\Controllers;
 
 use App\Models\DirectMessage;
 use App\Models\DirectThread;
+use App\Models\Story;
 use Illuminate\Http\JsonResponse;
 
 class ThreadController extends Controller
 {
+    /**
+     * Instagram's own story permalinks embed both the poster's username and
+     * the story item's numeric pk: instagram.com/stories/{username}/{pk}.
+     * That pk is the same id our story scraper stores.
+     */
+    private function parseStorySharePk(?string $url): ?array
+    {
+        if (! $url || ! preg_match('#/stories/([^/?]+)/(\d+)#', $url, $matches)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return ['username' => $matches[1], 'item_id' => $matches[2]];
+    }
+
     public function index(): JsonResponse
     {
         $threads = DirectThread::query()
@@ -40,10 +55,23 @@ class ThreadController extends Controller
     {
         $thread = DirectThread::findOrFail($threadId);
 
-        $messages = $thread->messages()
-            ->orderBy('timestamp')
-            ->get()
-            ->map(fn (DirectMessage $message) => [
+        $messages = $thread->messages()->orderBy('timestamp')->get();
+
+        // Batch-check which story shares actually still exist in our local
+        // `stories` table, so we only need one query for the whole thread
+        // rather than one per message.
+        $storyPks = $messages
+            ->map(fn (DirectMessage $m) => $this->parseStorySharePk($m->shared_url)['item_id'] ?? null)
+            ->filter()
+            ->unique()
+            ->values();
+
+        $existingStoryIds = Story::whereIn('id', $storyPks)->pluck('id')->all();
+
+        $messages = $messages->map(function (DirectMessage $message) use ($existingStoryIds) {
+            $storyShare = $this->parseStorySharePk($message->shared_url);
+
+            return [
                 'id' => $message->id,
                 'user_id' => $message->user_id,
                 'username' => $message->username,
@@ -55,10 +83,17 @@ class ThreadController extends Controller
                 'shared_preview_image' => $message->shared_preview_image,
                 'shared_title' => $message->shared_title,
                 'shared_caption' => $message->shared_caption,
+                'attachments' => $message->attachments,
                 'reactions' => $message->reactions,
                 'replied_to_id' => $message->replied_to_id,
                 'replied_to_text' => $message->replied_to_text,
-            ]);
+                'story_share' => $storyShare ? [
+                    'username' => $storyShare['username'],
+                    'item_id' => $storyShare['item_id'],
+                    'exists_locally' => in_array($storyShare['item_id'], $existingStoryIds, true),
+                ] : null,
+            ];
+        });
 
         return response()->json([
             'thread_id' => $thread->thread_id,
diff --git a/app/Models/DirectMessage.php b/app/Models/DirectMessage.php
index 1ae3c5f..02976da 100644
--- a/app/Models/DirectMessage.php
+++ b/app/Models/DirectMessage.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class DirectMessage extends Model
 
     protected $fillable = [
         'id', 'thread_id', 'user_id', 'username', 'full_name', 'item_type', 'text',
-        'media_url', 'is_video', 'timestamp', 'shared_url', 'shared_preview_image',
+        'media_url', 'is_video', 'attachments', 'timestamp', 'shared_url', 'shared_preview_image',
         'shared_title', 'shared_caption', 'reactions', 'replied_to_id', 'replied_to_text',
     ];
 
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class DirectMessage extends Model
         'is_video' => 'boolean',
         'timestamp' => 'integer',
         'reactions' => 'array',
+        'attachments' => 'array',
         'scraped_at' => 'datetime',
     ];
 
diff --git a/playwright/debugger.spec.js b/playwright/debugger.spec.js
index ca2ec83..5d65d86 100644
--- a/playwright/debugger.spec.js
+++ b/playwright/debugger.spec.js
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { test } from '@playwright/test';
+import path from 'path';
 
-test.use({ storageState: '/home/pwuser/ig-session.json' });
+test.use({ storageState: path.resolve(__dirname, '.auth', 'ig-session.json') });
 
-test('inspect non-text message shapes', async ({ page }) => {
+test('inspect IMAGES message shape', async ({ page }) => {
     test.setTimeout(120_000);
 
-    const interesting = [];
+    const found = [];
 
     page.on('response', async (response) => {
         const url = response.url();
@@ -17,10 +18,8 @@ test('inspect non-text message shapes', async ({ page }) => {
             const t = json?.data?.get_slide_thread_nullable?.as_ig_direct_thread;
             if (!t) return;
             for (const edge of t.slide_messages?.edges || []) {
-                const node = edge.node;
-                const hasReactions = (node.reactions?.length || 0) > 0 || (node.msg_reactions?.length || 0) > 0;
-                if (node.content_type !== 'TEXT' || hasReactions || node.replied_to_message) {
-                    interesting.push({ thread: t.thread_title, node });
+                if (edge.node?.content_type === 'IMAGES') {
+                    found.push(edge.node);
                 }
             }
         } catch (e) { /* skip */ }
@@ -29,13 +28,14 @@ test('inspect non-text message shapes', async ({ page }) => {
     await page.goto('https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/');
     await page.waitForTimeout(6000);
 
-    const threadHrefs = await page.$$eval('a[href*="/direct/t/"]', els =>
-        [...new Set(els.map(el => el.getAttribute('href')))]);
+    const threadHrefs = await page.$$eval('a[href*="/direct/t/"]', (els) => [
+        ...new Set(els.map((el) => el.getAttribute('href'))),
+    ]);
 
     for (const href of threadHrefs) {
         await page.goto(`https://www.instagram.com${href}`);
         await page.waitForTimeout(3500);
     }
 
-    console.log('[INTERESTING MESSAGES]', JSON.stringify(interesting, null, 2));
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+    console.log('[IMAGES MESSAGES]', JSON.stringify(found, null, 2));
+});
diff --git a/playwright/scrape-messages.spec.js b/playwright/scrape-messages.spec.js
index c0749fd..82bba1d 100644
--- a/playwright/scrape-messages.spec.js
+++ b/playwright/scrape-messages.spec.js
@@ -61,6 +61,18 @@ function extractShare(node) {
     };
 }
 
+// A raw photo/video message has content_type 'IMAGES' with one or more
+// attachments (Instagram allows sending several photos in a single message).
+function extractAttachments(node) {
+    const attachments = node.content?.attachments;
+    if (!attachments?.length) return null;
+    return attachments.map((a) => ({
+        url: a.attachment_cdn_url || a.preview_cdn_url || null,
+        width: a.preview_width || null,
+        height: a.preview_height || null,
+    })).filter((a) => a.url);
+}
+
 function extractMessage(node, thread, fbidLookup) {
     const senderDict = node.sender?.user_dict;
     const resolved = senderDict
@@ -85,6 +97,7 @@ function extractMessage(node, thread, fbidLookup) {
         text: node.text_body || node.content?.text_body || null,
         timestamp_ms: node.timestamp_ms ? Number(node.timestamp_ms) : null,
         share: extractShare(node),
+        attachments: extractAttachments(node),
         reactions: reactions.length ? reactions : null,
         replied_to_id: node.replied_to_message_id || null,
         replied_to_text: node.replied_to_message?.text_body || null,
diff --git a/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageBubble.vue b/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageBubble.vue
index ef65915..00da2ec 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageBubble.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageBubble.vue
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import Avatar from '@/components/dredge/Avatar.vue';
 import MessageText from './MessageText.vue';
 import MessageShare from './MessageShare.vue';
+import MessageStoryShare from './MessageStoryShare.vue';
+import MessageMedia from './MessageMedia.vue';
 import MessageSystem from './MessageSystem.vue';
 import type { ThreadMessage } from '@/types/dredge.types';
 
@@ -26,9 +28,16 @@ defineProps<{
                 {{ message.replied_to_text }}
             </p>
 
-            <MessageShare v-if="message.shared_url" :message="message" />
-            <MessageText v-else-if="message.text" :message="message" />
-            <MessageSystem v-else :message="message" :is-own="isOwn" />
+            <!-- Text is a universal concern shown alongside whatever else the
+                 message carries, not one branch of a type dispatch — a story
+                 reply, for instance, has both a caption you typed AND a
+                 share preview, and previously only one or the other rendered. -->
+            <MessageText v-if="message.text" :message="message" />
+
+            <MessageStoryShare v-if="message.story_share" :message="message" />
+            <MessageShare v-else-if="message.shared_url" :message="message" />
+            <MessageMedia v-else-if="message.attachments?.length" :message="message" />
+            <MessageSystem v-else-if="!message.text" :message="message" :is-own="isOwn" />
 
             <div v-if="message.reactions?.length" class="bubble__reactions">
                 <span v-for="(reaction, i) in message.reactions" :key="i" class="bubble__reaction">
diff --git a/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageMedia.vue b/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageMedia.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffd2d88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageMedia.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { proxyImage } from '@/lib/proxyImage';
+import type { ThreadMessage } from '@/types/dredge.types';
+
+defineProps<{
+    message: ThreadMessage;
+}>();
+</script>
+
+<template>
+    <div
+        v-if="message.attachments?.length"
+        class="message-media"
+        :class="{ 'message-media--grid': message.attachments.length > 1 }"
+    >
+        <a
+            v-for="(attachment, i) in message.attachments"
+            :key="i"
+            :href="attachment.url"
+            target="_blank"
+            rel="noopener noreferrer"
+        >
+            <img :src="proxyImage(attachment.url)" alt="" class="message-media__image" />
+        </a>
+    </div>
+</template>
+
+<style scoped>
+.message-media {
+    display: flex;
+}
+.message-media > a {
+    display: block;
+    line-height: 0;
+}
+.message-media__image {
+    display: block;
+    max-width: 220px;
+    max-height: 320px;
+    border-radius: 10px;
+    object-fit: cover;
+}
+.message-media--grid {
+    flex-wrap: wrap;
+    gap: 0.3rem;
+    max-width: 220px;
+}
+.message-media--grid .message-media__image {
+    width: 105px;
+    height: 105px;
+    max-width: none;
+    max-height: none;
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageStoryShare.vue b/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageStoryShare.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9583f29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/js/components/dredge/Messages/MessageStoryShare.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { ref } from 'vue';
+import { proxyImage } from '@/lib/proxyImage';
+import StoryViewer from '@/components/dredge/Stories/StoryViewer.vue';
+import type { ThreadMessage } from '@/types/dredge.types';
+
+const props = defineProps<{
+    message: ThreadMessage;
+}>();
+
+const isOpen = ref(false);
+</script>
+
+<template>
+    <component
+        :is="message.story_share!.exists_locally ? 'button' : 'a'"
+        class="story-share"
+        :class="{ 'story-share--large': message.story_share!.exists_locally }"
+        v-bind="
+            message.story_share!.exists_locally
+                ? { type: 'button' }
+                : { href: message.shared_url ?? undefined, target: '_blank', rel: 'noopener noreferrer' }
+        "
+        @click="message.story_share!.exists_locally && (isOpen = true)"
+    >
+        <img
+            v-if="message.shared_preview_image"
+            :src="proxyImage(message.shared_preview_image)"
+            alt=""
+            class="story-share__image"
+        />
+        <span v-if="message.shared_title || message.shared_caption" class="story-share__body">
+            <span v-if="message.shared_title" class="story-share__title">
+                {{ message.shared_title }}
+            </span>
+            <span v-if="message.shared_caption" class="story-share__caption">
+                {{ message.shared_caption }}
+            </span>
+        </span>
+    </component>
+
+    <StoryViewer
+        v-if="isOpen && message.story_share"
+        :username="message.story_share.username"
+        :item-id="message.story_share.item_id"
+        @close="isOpen = false"
+    />
+</template>
+
+<style scoped>
+.story-share {
+    display: flex;
+    gap: 0.6rem;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    color: inherit;
+    background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
+    border: none;
+    border-radius: 8px;
+    padding: 0.4rem;
+    font: inherit;
+    text-align: left;
+    width: 100%;
+    cursor: pointer;
+}
+.story-share__image {
+    width: 48px;
+    height: 48px;
+    object-fit: cover;
+    border-radius: 6px;
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+.story-share__body {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    min-width: 0;
+    justify-content: center;
+}
+.story-share__title {
+    font-weight: 600;
+    font-size: 0.82rem;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+}
+.story-share__caption {
+    font-size: 0.75rem;
+    opacity: 0.8;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+/* A story we actually have locally: worth a much bigger, tappable preview
+   instead of the compact link-card treatment used for everything else. */
+.story-share--large {
+    flex-direction: column;
+    background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
+    padding: 0.5rem;
+}
+.story-share--large .story-share__image {
+    width: 160px;
+    height: 284px; /* ~9:16, matching Instagram's own story aspect ratio */
+    border-radius: 10px;
+}
+.story-share--large .story-share__body {
+    width: 160px;
+}
+.story-share--large .story-share__caption,
+.story-share--large .story-share__title {
+    white-space: normal;
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/resources/js/components/dredge/Stories/StoryViewer.vue b/resources/js/components/dredge/Stories/StoryViewer.vue
index a9828fc..4ddb6e4 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/dredge/Stories/StoryViewer.vue
+++ b/resources/js/components/dredge/Stories/StoryViewer.vue
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ import type { StoryDetail } from '@/types/dredge.types';
 
 const props = defineProps<{
     username: string;
+    // When set, opens this specific (possibly expired) story item directly
+    // instead of the user's current live tray.
+    itemId?: string;
 }>();
 
 const emit = defineEmits<{
@@ -30,12 +33,15 @@ async function fetchStory() {
     loading.value = true;
     error.value = null;
     try {
-        const response = await fetch(`/api/stories/${props.username}`);
+        const url = props.itemId ? `/api/story-items/${props.itemId}` : `/api/stories/${props.username}`;
+        const response = await fetch(url);
         if (!response.ok) throw new Error('Failed to load story');
         detail.value = await response.json();
         currentIndex.value = detail.value?.start_index ?? 0;
     } catch (e) {
-        error.value = 'Could not load this story.';
+        error.value = props.itemId
+            ? 'This story is no longer available.'
+            : 'Could not load this story.';
     } finally {
         loading.value = false;
     }
diff --git a/resources/js/types/dredge.types.ts b/resources/js/types/dredge.types.ts
index 6a6edf7..2133438 100644
--- a/resources/js/types/dredge.types.ts
+++ b/resources/js/types/dredge.types.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@ export interface ThreadReaction {
     username: string | null;
 }
 
+export interface ThreadStoryShare {
+    username: string;
+    item_id: string;
+    exists_locally: boolean;
+}
+
 export interface ThreadMessage {
     id: string;
     user_id: string | null;
@@ -90,9 +96,11 @@ export interface ThreadMessage {
     shared_preview_image: string | null;
     shared_title: string | null;
     shared_caption: string | null;
+    attachments: { url: string; width: number | null; height: number | null }[] | null;
     reactions: ThreadReaction[] | null;
     replied_to_id: string | null;
     replied_to_text: string | null;
+    story_share: ThreadStoryShare | null;
 }
 
 export interface ThreadDetail {
diff --git a/routes/api.php b/routes/api.php
index ececfb9..d4fc446 100644
--- a/routes/api.php
+++ b/routes/api.php
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@ Route::get('/posts', [PostController::class, 'index']);
 Route::get('/stories', [StoryController::class, 'index']);
 Route::get('/stories/{username}', [StoryController::class, 'show']);
 Route::post('/story-items/{id}/view', [StoryController::class, 'markViewed']);
+Route::get('/story-items/{id}', [StoryController::class, 'showItem']);
 Route::get('/threads', [ThreadController::class, 'index']);
 Route::get('/threads/{threadId}', [ThreadController::class, 'show']);