#secret life is such amazing pay off for the whole life series im always saying tihs

[liauditore]

BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY! BDUBS DAY!

[rekrappeter]

illicit affairs [7]

pairing: jj maybank x fem!reader || topper thornton x fem!reader

warnings: emotional abuse, mention of cheating, cursing, violence, physical fight, mention of blood, kissing 

summary: the last thing you expected entering an anonymous chat room was to be connected with a man from the same island. nevermind, building a proper bond with them through late-night messages, not knowing who or what they were. you told them everything, you leaned on them in times of need. it was a secret you held tightly, even from your boyfriend, Topper. But what happens when you find out the stranger you’ve fallen in love with is the man that despises you for being a kook, the one and only JJ Maybank?

notes: thank you all for the lovely comments on previous parts. I hope you like this one just as much, let me what you think! if you want to be tagged, please send me an ask as I might lose it if it’s a comment. Thank you :) y’all can thank @rafecameron​ for me taking it easy on topper !! yes im using a kissing booth gif, apologies 

this is also dedicated to my love @diverdcwn​

part six || series masterlist || part eight

It became routine after that night. JJ would knock on your window at eleven p.m, bringing different types of snacks and drinks. He’d stumble over your furniture, you’d stiffen the laughs that wanted to escape and he’d get comfortable on your bed, snuggling into you. You were sure to keep quiet but he never failed making you shush him in fear that your mother would hear his loud obnoxious laugh. Your bedroom was your safe haven, it was the space you shared solemnly with JJ. You avoided him in public, and he would ignore you, pretending that he didn’t just leave your embrace hours beforehand. It was better this way, for the time being. 

On Wednesday night, he came right on time, carrying goldfish and caramel chocolate bars in his backpack. You got to pick the movie for the night, knowing that neither one of you would be paying attention to it instead updating each other on your antics of the day. You opted for Clueless, a movie that could play in the background but what you didn’t expect was for JJ to become totally engrossed to it.

‘Have you never seen this?’ you chuckled, popping a goldfish into your mouth. 

JJ shook his head, ‘I-I just, aren’t they step siblings? They can hardly date each other..’ his face turned to a grimace and you couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. He turned to look at you, smiling softly and rolling his eyes. ‘Stop that.’

‘Stop what?’ you asked, twisting your body to look at him. 

‘Stop giggling, it’s cute,’ he replied, a blush sketching across his cheeks. 

‘Stop making me giggle then,’ you retorted. 

JJ bit his bottom lip, moving the packet of crisps that separated your body and moved in closer to you. His hand trailed along your hip, your crop top riding up slightly. Your eyes fluttered closed at the sensation of his fingers brushing your bare skin, and your stomach felt like it was twisting in on itself. ‘Have you spoke to Topper yet?’ JJ’s voice was small and soft, almost as if he was afraid to ask the question.

‘No, not yet, but I’m meeting him Friday night,’ you said, opening your eyes to look at him. His face was closer, you could feel his breath fawning over your lips and you wanted nothing more than to close the gap between you but you refrain yourself from doing so. That’s the thing about this; you and JJ were friends, slowly turning to becoming each other’s best friend. The last week has been nothing short of amazing, creating that connection that you once established online. There was no doubt you were in love with him. 

‘Are you meeting him at the boneyard?’ he asked, circling his arms around your waist and pulling you closer. You rested your head on his chest, letting him cuddle into you. 

‘Yeah, is that okay? I know you’ll be there.’

‘It’s fine, don’t let me stop you from meeting your boyfriend,’ JJ chuckled, you knew he was trying to play it off as if it didn’t matter and deep down, it did to him. He wanted to be the one showing you off, bringing you to parties. He wanted to be the one kissing you goodnight and goodmorning, he was the one that was always there anyway. 

You pushed away from him, hovering over him. ‘You know it’s not like, Jay.’

He forced a smile, brushing some of your hair behind your ear. ‘I’m teasing, I know what I signed up for. Now c’mere.’ He placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, something that you would never had associated with JJ before; being gentle, being sweet. The man that lay beside you each night was a person that you thought you knew for a long time, but you had yet to figure him out until the last couple of weeks. 

‘You know, he’s not my boyfriend, right?’ you muttered, laying on your back, your arm brushing against his. He raised his right hand in the air, yours following his movements and tangled your fingers in his. 

‘But you still care about him, you won’t let me kiss you.’ 

‘Friends don’t kiss, JJ,’ you hummed, brushing his fingers. ‘We’re just friends.’

JJ chuckled softly, glancing at you for a split second with a smirk on his face, ‘Yeah, okay.’ You laughed along with him, shaking your head. 

‘What’s that suppose to me?’ you muttered when you laughs died down. JJ clasped his larger fingers over yours, bringing your hand to his lips and peppered kisses on your skin. 

‘I love my friends, but I don’t love them like I do you,’ JJ whispered, his heart hammering against his chest as the confession left his tongue. He was nervous, opening up to you about you. He was so used to pushing his other baggage on you; his family history, his friend problems, his worry about the future. But he wanted to talk about the thing that was bothering him the most, that thing being you and his feelings towards you. 

You were at lost for words, never thinking you’d hear JJ admit that he was in love with you. It’s so easy to fall in love online, you create this picture perfect persona for the person you’re talking to and when you meet them in real life, you always expected that picture to burn away, being replaced with reality. But the time you’ve spent with JJ has been special, you looked forward to seeing him and you giggled and blushed a lot. You felt like a teenage girl again, sneaking around and this time you weren’t going to beat around the bush.

‘You love me?’ you whispered, turning your body to face him.

JJ licked his lips, swallowing back any hesitation before nodding, ‘I do, I do love you.’ 

A smile tugged on your lips, ‘I’m in love with you.’ 

Having you say those words to him, JJ felt like he was on top of the world. His heart was soaring high, his stomach flipping and his palms sweating. He ran his hand up your body to cup your face, feeling you sucking in a deep breath, he brought you closer, resting his forehead on yours. You breathed in each other’s scent, eyes closed and this was the most intimate it was going to get because he knew you didn’t want your first kiss to be riddled with guilt and shame. He knew he’d have to wait. 

You had a skip in your step the whole next day, a wide smile plastered on your face as you interacted with other people despite the blue eyed boy being on your mind twenty four seven. It wasn’t until you crossed paths with your mother minutes before you were about to walk out your front door and make your way to the boneyard. The moment she spotted your smile, her eyes gazed down at your outfit and it was like a mask covered her face in a split second. 

‘Where do you think you’re going dressed like that?’ she asked. You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes at her words, pulling at the thread of your jean shorts; your outfit was nothing short of what every other person would wear on the island. 

‘I’m meeting Topper at the beach,’ you simply replied.

‘So he forgave you?’ your mother chuckled drily, taking a sip of the wine glass, ‘I hope you realise how lucky you are.’ 

Shuffling on the pristine carpet, you looked between her and the mirror in front of you in the hallway, noting the little similarities that you shared with her. You heaved out a sigh, running your hand over your face. ‘I’m not asking him to forgive me tonight, I’m ending it completely.’ 

The heavy silence settled. You watched as she ran her tongue along her pearl white teeth, her lips smacking together. Her lips looked like they wanted to twitch into a smile, but it was a smile of disappointment and disbelief. ‘I-I don’t know what to do with you anymore.’ 

‘You don’t have to do anything with me, I’m twenty years old now.’

‘Oh, because you’re twenty, you don’t need me anymore,’ she nodded her head slowly, as if she was coming to terms with something life changing. She walked towards you, her pink fluffy slippers dragging along the carpet. 

‘I-i don’t think I ever really needed you,’ your voice was miles apart from your brain. You stumbled back as she walked towards you, closing the gap. Her eyes were full of amusement, but fiery lightning behind them at your words. You could see her knuckles getting paler as she grasped the wine glass. ‘You never did anything good for me.’ 

‘Good for you? Look around, look at where you’re living! I did all this, for you. For you to live a good life.’

‘No, mother! You did all this for you! You never cared about me!’ you shouted at her, watching her take a step back at your raised voice. ‘You put me down everyday! You belittle me! You make me feel like everything I do is wrong!’

‘Because it is!’ She screamed, suddenly raising her arm and throwing the glass in your direction. You jumped out of the way, letting the glass break into a million pieces against the wall, the red wine painting the cream wallpaper. Your heart hammered against your chest, staring wide eyed at your mother. ‘You have never done anything right!’ The tears were streaming down her face, the anger simmering over.

‘You never gave me a chance, you watched me like a hawk. Every mistake I made, you judged. You never let me be a kid, or a teenager, I was under lock and key ever since father-’ your voice broke, your eyes watering over. 

‘You say I kept you under lock and key but look at you, y/n. If I had any control over you, you would be in college, aiming for a good life but you’re throwing it away. You’re nothing but a disgrace to this family, to me, to your father.’ She turned on her heels, her voice echoing in your ears as you sobbed uncontrollably. Your cries were whimpers, barely a sound passing your lips. The house was closing in, suffocating you to the point that you stumbled out of it, making sure to slam the door as loud as you could.

Climbing into your jeep, you made a beeline towards the boneyard. You only wanted one person. You longed to be wrapped in his arms, to have his warmth and scent comforting you. You swerved on the road multiple times, slamming on your breaks when you pulled into the parking lot half a mile from where people were gathering. You didn’t want to cause a scene, you just wanted JJ to wrap his arms around you and tell you everything was going to be okay. 

As you walked down the walkway, the fresh air from the sea washed over you. Your numbing mind waking up, making you aware of what was going on. You were unconsciously walking towards the group of pogues that were gathered around the keg. You halted in your step, feeling the breath being knocked out of you when JJ noticed your figure there. He stood up straighter, seeing the tears streaming down your cheeks. The sky was still bright, welcoming the summer evening, he could see your figure from miles away. JJ stepped around the pogues, making his way over to you in a rush but he paused. 

‘Hey, y/n, you made it,’ the voice sent shivers down your spine, turning to face Topper. JJ watched you intently, your eyes still on him, it was like he was waiting. Waiting for you to make a decision. Topper’s arm gripped your forearm, pulling you to the side. You lost sight of JJ when your body spun around, thanks to Topper. ‘What’s wrong? Why are you crying?’ 

‘It’s nothing, Topper,’ you mumbled, wiping away the tears with the white sweater you threw on. 

Topper’s stare switched to the pogue watching the couple, his eyes narrowing slightly. ‘Is this something to do with him?’ he snarled, you turned your head to see JJ, watching him swallow and twist on his heels, walking back to the keg.

‘N-no, Topper, it was my-’ But Topper pushed past you, not letting you explain. You watched him rush towards JJ, knocking him in the back and pushing him to the sand. Topper hovered over him, throwing punches while grabbing his shirt, pulling him from the sand. ‘Topper!’ you screamed, running to the men that were gathering a crowd, chanting. 

You tried to jump on Topper, but when he pulled his arm back to punch JJ, his elbow connected to your jaw making you fall back onto your ass. ‘Topper!’ you screamed again, tears free falling from your eyes. ‘Pope, do something!’ you screamed at the only familiar face you could make out from the crowd. You scrambled from the sand, going in for a second attempt of pulling Topper off JJ. 

You and Pope both grabbed an arm each, reaving him off the body. Pope held him down, but the blonde underneath him scrambled away on his ass, watching you. Topper watched you glance at him for a split second before your attention was solemnly on JJ, who sat up, spitting blood from his mouth. 

‘Hey, hey, are you okay?’ you asked frantically, cupping his face to see how bad the damage was. His eyes were disorientated and fatigued, barely opening but he managed to nod before collapsing to the sand again, trying to catch his breath. 

‘I take it you told him,’ JJ mumbled, but from the cringe in your face, he knew he said the wrong thing.

‘Tell me what?’ Topper snapped from behind you, standing now. You swallowed back the lump in your throat, cursing JJ under your breath. You stood up slowly, turning to look at the man you once loved. His face was a mix of emotions, eyes flicking between you and JJ. You reached to grab his hand but he stumbled backwards away from you, ‘What’s going on?’ 

‘Can we go somewhere private?’ you muttered, glaring at the crowd still around you. Some people looked away and turned their back, but others’ ears perked up and were waiting for you to continue. ‘Don’t make me do it here.’

You followed Topper away from the gathering, down towards the shore. JJ stood from the sand, watching your retreating figure and he wanted nothing more than to be there with you, but he knew you needed to do this yourself. Topper turned to look at you, waiting for you to start your explanation, to give him a bit of insight into what the hell was going on. 

‘Topper, just know I didn’t mean for this to happen,’ his eyes screwed close at your words, sucking in a deep breath, ‘and I never did anything. It just happened, we created this connection and-’

‘And you cheated on me?’ he asked, looking at you intently with his eyes glossing. 

‘No,’ you urged, ‘N-not physically anyways, I never kissed him.’ 

‘But you wanted to?’ 

You nodded slowly, hearing Topper curse and run his hand over his face, as if he was trying to contain some of the hurt he was feeling. ‘Why does this always happen to me? L-like what am I doing wrong?’ Any anger or fear that you were feeling completely disappeared, replaced with guilt and sadness. You didn’t mean to make Topper feel like this, you didn’t know he felt like this at all or that there was a possibility of it. 

‘Topper, you are such a great guy..’

‘But?’ 

‘But I don’t know.. you’re a little intense,’ you mumbled, nibbling on your bottom lip.

‘You cheated on me because I was intense? Because I loved you too much?’ He asked in disbelief, his eyes wide. He paced on the sand, kicking the grains with his sandals. 

‘You don’t love me, Topper, you-’

‘Don’t pull that shit, Sarah did the same thing. It became a phenomenon,’ Topper snapped, his fingers gliding through his hair. ‘What’s going on with you and JJ now?’ 

You looked up at the beach, seeing JJ standing to the side, watching you. You tried to suppress the smile, but you couldn’t. Topper seemed oddly at ease, something you weren’t expecting; maybe it was the break you were on that eased the blow of it. He must have suspected something. ‘We’ve just been hanging out as friends.’

‘A pogue,’ Topper rolled his eyes, and you were about to retaliate until you spotted the smirk resting on his lips. You pushed his arm, and he used this as an opportunity to pull you into a hug, his face nesting into your neck. He tightened his arms around you, squeezing you.

‘I’m sorry, Top,’ you muttered into his ear, wrapping your arms around him. 

‘I’m sorry too,’ he replied, pulling back slightly, ‘Maybe you could help me, be my wingwoman sometime.’ 

You threw your head back laughing but nodded, smiling up at him. ‘Deal.’ 

You made your way back up the beach, ignoring prying eyes before you went your separate ways, bidding each other goodbye with small smiles. You walked towards JJ who was waiting patiently, two drinks in his hands. He reached one out to you, which you gladly accepted and you sighed, downing it. 

‘That seemed to have gone reasonably well,’ JJ mumbled, looking at you over the rim of his own cup. 

‘Better than expected,’ you smiled, ‘I’ll be his new wingwoman, find him a good aul pogue.’

‘I have a few friends,’ JJ offered, and you chuckled, ‘you kooks do seem to have a thing for pogues. First Sarah Cameron, now y/n y/l/n.’

‘Who says I have a thing for a pogue?’

JJ threw his cup to the sand, taking yours and tossing it to the ground. He grabbed your hands, pulling you in closer. You giggled at the impact of his chest against yours, tilting your head to look up at him. ‘You still love me?’ he asked, his blue eyes staring into yours.

You pretended to think about the answer, making him tickle your side. ‘Aye, stop. Of course I do,’ his heart hammered against his chest again, he won’t ever get used to hearing that you love him. A sly smile landed on his face, and you ran your fingers up his arms, letting him hold you close to him. 

‘Where does this leave us then?’ JJ asked softly, fluttering his eyelashes at you. He felt vulnerable in this moment, giving you his heart. 

Your fingers brushed his jaw, running them through his hair before they rested at the back of his head. His eyes shut at the sensation, taking a deep breath in. You took this as your opportunity to lean towards him, slowly pressing your lips to his. He was shocked at first, but followed your lead and applied more pressure. Moving your lips against his, he pulled you in closer by the hips and you gripped his hair gently, deepening the kiss. 

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

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crossed out means i couldnt tag you for some reason :)

[sheepfulsheepyardinspace]

Do you have any Star Wars fanfic recommendations, or have a link to someone else's list? I really wanna veg out.

oh my god, DO I. this may have been the best ask in the world. i’m not really sure what u want a feel for, so i threw together some of my favorite longfics for maximum veg time from the ot/pt and links for swr and swtcw recs. they’re pretty much all luke-anakin/vader centric, since that’s kinda my bread and butter.

let’s start with frodogenic, who wrote the first longfic i ever read in sw and might be one of the funniest authors ever. they once reviewed my fanfic & i nearly cried from joy. anyway. 

The Father, 284k+, complete. “Ten years after ROTS, tormenting nightmares of his unborn child drive Darth Vader to extraordinary measures with unexpectedly drastic consequences. Clearly, experience has taught Darth Vader nothing...” 

this is my og star wars fic and boy oh boy is it amazing. i will never get over this. i don’t want to spoil anything but when i say the final chapters are great? i mean they’re legendary. sometimes i still think about them & wish upon a star that i could be such a great writer. vader’s amazing, han is spectacular, and the ocs are fantastic.

Far More Than Rubies, 70k+, complete. “Nine years after AOTC, tragedy revisits the Lars Homestead. Little Luke Skywalker is suddenly plunged into chaos as the rebel movements discover a secret military project that may make a crucial difference in the war with the Empire.”

the spiritual twin of The Father, FMTR takes a look at padmé’s character and relationship with both luke and anakin/vader that’s hard to beat. it’s darker and heavier than The Father, but it hits those same sweet, sweet emotional beats while raising the age-old question: if padmé had lived, what would she have done?

The Family Tree, 12k, complete. “In which Luke Skywalker is stranded in a tree waiting for a flash flood to recede. Too bad he's got company...”

okay, i admit, this isn’t a longfic, but it is a longshot, and it’s amazing. the imagery and description always blow me away, and the interaction (canon-compliant) between luke and vader just [chef’s kiss] get me. vader’s in full, glorious form, and it makes it all the harder when luke wrestles with the knowledge that vader is his father.

Sibling Revelry, 25k, complete. “After Bespin and before Endor, Darth Vader is shocked to discover that Luke and Leia are twins. He's even more shocked when Imperial Intelligence reports that Organa and Skywalker are, erm, a tad closer than previously suspected.”

this is complete crack and humor in the best way possible. it’s crack treated entirely seriously, and you will be in stitches, i promise. no matter how many times i’ve read this i break down.

KittandChips (@kittandchips) writes what i can only describe as food for the soul. the luke-vader interaction is insanely amazing, the world building of daily imperial life and imperial governance is amazing, and vader just has a special je ne sais quoi that u must read to understand––tragic, funny, and so, so fatherly. they’re currently rewriting the Force Bond Series to fit in with newer canon, so i will joyously binge reread the entire again (including the new Force Bond: Mustafar Weekend).

Force Bond 1: Orphan, 47k, complete. “After Owen and Beru are killed by a mysterious stranger, young Luke ends up as an orphan on Coruscant. It's a race against time as Obi-Wan struggles to find Luke before Vader realizes the boy is his son.”

Orphan kicks off the series, which tracks vader and luke’s relationship through the perils of luke’s teenagerhood while growing up under the eye of the emperor and imperial court. it’s filled with slow growth, struggle and misunderstandings as darth vader tries to single parent, and pay off in every installment. the entire series clocks in around 777k+ and is the most joyful, fulfilling reading you’ll ever have. promise.

darth-nickels (@darth--nickels) writes darker, twistier, and terribly, terribly heartwrenching aus. they’ve got a whole host, but let me introduce to my two favorites. also, check out their faux-academia on vader. it’s amazing and i love it, but i admit i am an academia hoe.

Dooku Captured, Pt 2, 16k, complete. “Dooku is taken alive onboard the Invisible Hand, and Sidious' web is torn. The Sith Lord wonders if death might have been preferable to clumsy interrogation by Anakin Skywalker.”

Dooku Captured is a longshot au told from Dooku’s pov which takes the beginning of ROTS and throws it on its head. it’s a fascinating outside perspective of anakin and obi-wan’s relationship and such and interesting examination of dooku’s psyche and especially his complex relationship with the jedi order, qui-gon, yoda, and palpatine. i cannot rec this one enough.

Black Mirror, 90k, incomplete. “The Ghost crew returns to the Lothal when they hear the Empire is investigating the Jedi Temple there. They learn Vader is alone and decide to take him out-- but what they find could change the course of Galactic history.”

Black Mirror diverges into swr territory, but make no mistake: this is entirely an examination of vader and, later, obi-wan as well as ahsoka. luke makes his appearance later in the game, and boy oh boy will you love luke’s portrayal is a microcosm of luke and vader’s relationship within canon. heed the tags, though.

jerseydevious ( @jerseydevious ) is, first and foremost, one of my favorite people on earth. secondly, though, she’s an amazing writer with a deep understanding of vader’s character and psyche, a flair for beautiful depictions, and the true ability to wring every emotion out of your body.

Two and a Half Men (with a baby), 13k, incomplete. “After a long day of bargaining with Hutts and attempting to ignore his past, Darth Vader is nearing the end of his rope. When he discovers his two-year-old son, it's the straw that breaks the semi-rational Sith Lord's back; in a rash act worthy of the Skywalker name, he scoops his son into his arms, steals a shuttle from his own fleet, and punches in random hyperspace coordinates to a destination on the other side of the galaxy. Unfortunately, father and son are not the only ones on the ship.”

Two and a Half Men will stick with you, dude. like no other. i promise. it’s a whirlwind ride with obi-wan, vader, and piett and as funny as it is heartbreaking. it touches on some heavy issues and doesn’t shy away from looking at the damage done to vader––again, heed the tags.

Helioseismology, 4k, complete. “Luke gets shot down on a supply run and caught in an ice storm. It's extremely lucky that his father followed him there.“

i’ll admit. im completely biased about this one because it was a birthday gift to me and i am sucker for litcherally anything when jd puts pen to paper, but believe me when i say you will be awed by the depth and tangled relationships between these luke and vader that jersey can illustrate in a stroke of the paintbrush. im love. always.

izzythehutt ( @izzythehutt ) i am blown away by the intricate dialogue and characterization, always. and the latin puns? im sold. im also a sucker for latin puns, but that’s a story for a different time.

In Loco Pirates, 34k, complete. “A down-on-his-luck Hondo Ohnaka manages to capture the unicorn of all bounties--Luke Skywalker, which sends Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, on a painfully familiar trip to the planet Florrum to collect his prize. The failed negotiations leave Vader in the awkward position of being stuck in a besieged pirate bunker, trying to balance keeping his wayward child safe (and in his custody) with controlling the tongue of a loose-lipped pirate who--to the surprise of no one--has a bad habit of telling 'amusing' anecdotes from the Clone Wars.”

hondo, aka the best character of swtcw, is brought to life just as vividly on paper as on screen. his entire personality brings luke and vader’s difficulties in a sort of incredulous light, which makes it as funny as it is vulnerable and tragic. the sequel, Palpatine Ad Portas, brings piett into the spotlight, and oh man do his interactions with palpatine and vader bring u all the uncomfortable vibes. relish in it.

sparklight ( @littlesparklight ) man. lemme introduce u to an amazing prolific and detailed writer. i will never get over the series they’ve written & neither will u.

Where Our Intrepid Hero Doesn’t Get Away, 122k, incomplete. “One-shots surrounding either AU situations of canon/legends works where Luke would normally have gotten away (or Vader is simply inserted into the action to come pick his child up) but in these instances doesn't, or completely new scenarios of the same. There are no deep ruminations on consequences of the situations here, just our awful Sith dad picking his son up when he'd rather not be.”

exactly what it says on the tin. u know those glorious moments of fanfic where luke’s gotten captured and ur on pins and needles, waiting for vader to show up in a moment of dark glory? here’s the moment. here’s all the moments.

Space Race, 122k, incomplete. “Owen gives in to Luke's wish to attend the Imperial Academy and Obi-Wan is too late to avert it, though he's not too late to make sure Luke leaves Arkanis before Vader can gets his hands on him. Luke spends over a month running around the galaxy before his father gets him, and from there...”

this story relishes in chase and boy is it fun. it will keep you on the edge of your seat and it’s an amazing ride.

The Suns of Tatooine, 85k, complete. “Luke ends up on a moon swamped in dark side energy after a mission goes wrong, then his father appears... and then they go on a bit of a learning experience. This could've been the only thing that would come of getting through a Sith complex with his father, but thanks to going to free Han earlier than the gang did otherwise, more revelations are had. Will that change anything?”

this series is a thoughtful, contemplative piece examining the nature of the force and the relationship the skywalkers have with tatooine. the descriptions are beautiful, the inventiveness is amazing, and you’ll be thinking about it for long afterwards.

an additional few…

Between Flight and Longing; 34k, complete. “Luke Skywalker and Han Solo journey to the planet Balen'ar on a desperate mission and find more than they'd bargained for.”

a classic and it is for a reason. the interaction between han, luke, and vader is so spectacular and the slow trudge of going through the forest with your greatest enemy and best friend is something hilarious. the end is bittersweet and fantastic.

The Sith Who Brought Life Day, 13k, complete. “An Imperial officer loses a bet and has to get Darth Vader a present for Life Day.”

somewhere between terrifying and dull, this fic presents a canon-compliant look at the hunt for luke and the grinding wheels of the empire. the oc is amazing and it echoes in true star wars spirit: sometimes it’s just some dude who can change the galaxy.

Quintessence, 5k, complete. ‘“Well, Master, I think I’ve found the one positive aspect of this situation.” “Which is?” “The Temple won’t have to pay the costs for our funeral pyres.”’

pure hilarity and shenanigans abound in pre-aotc obi-wan and anakin hijink goodness. lemme tell u––u will deeply sympathize with mace windu afterwards. additionally, check out the rest of the author’s oneshots! they’re deeply thoughtful and the interactions the author writes between obi-wan and anakin are always gold.

some extras & shameless self-promotion

here’s a full list of recommendations for star wars rebels fanfic in case this is what you’re looking for (remember when this used to be a swr blog, lmao)

i’ve also written sw fanfic, both swr and luke-vader centric. drop by and tell me if it’s any good!

[choices-and-voices]

hi sorry if this has already been asked somewhere but im was wondering if you had any tips on how to get the best experience without having to pay ?

Hi there! Don’t worry, this question hasn’t been asked before, and I am honestly super flattered that you value my opinion enough to ask it ☺️ I’m not sure how helpful my tips will be because I don’t exactly consider myself an expert in this, but here are some things that came to mind! I’ve gone into quite a bit of detail, but if you want a quicker overview, just stick to the bold headings. Also, if any of the people reading this have good tips of their own, please lmk! I’m always learning new things about how to do this too 💕

1. This one’s a bit obvious, but still – take the opportunities that the game gives you to earn free diamonds. That means watching the bonus ads every day (5 diamonds/day), playing through chapters as often as you can (including replaying old books if there are no new releases – 2 diamonds/chapter), and watching ads at the end of book chapters for an extra diamond. Obviously, all this is a bit of a balancing act – you want to be playing Choices often enough to build up your diamonds, but not so often that it takes over your life and makes you feel frustrated, because what’s the point of it if it’s not fun anymore, y’know? So I’ve always been careful not to overdo it. Even if all you do is watch the bonus ads every day, that’s 35 diamonds/week – basically, one big diamond scene a week – which is honestly not too shabby.

2. At any one time, only play 1-2 books that you’re really invested in, and try to supplement that with another 2-3 books that you’re not really invested in or are replaying just for diamonds. As tempting as it can be to rush through every good-looking book in the app all at once, that just leads to a situation where a) you’re trying to divide your free keys between waaay too many releases, and b) there are so many demands on you for diamonds, you never get to consistently spend them on anything. So I personally think it’s best to only read a couple of good books at once, and instead of marathoning them, break them up with chapters from less-good books – this builds up your diamond stash for spending on the good books. Which leads into my next point:

3. Don’t zip through books too fast – even if most of the chapters are already released, spreading them out helps you earn more diamonds for them in the meantime. I’m really lucky to have been playing Choices for so long that almost all the books were presented to me in weekly release format – if I downloaded the app for the first time today, and saw all the fully-released books on there, I feel like I would be way too overwhelmed to play. So I reckon that, even if a book isn’t technically a weekly release for you, make it a weekly release! You might decide to play all the books you’re really invested in on a particular day when you have more free time – say, a Sunday. Then, you have Monday-Saturday every week to earn diamonds for those books, and something to look forward to at the end of it all. As for what you do with those diamonds:

4. Be smart about what you spend diamonds on. There are a couple of different components to this tip – it involves things like a) figuring out which types of purchases are worth diamonds in general, b) figuring out which types of purchases you want to prioritise in certain books, and c) planning ahead before you start playing a book chapter about where you might want to spend diamonds. To address each of those things one-by-one:

a) Figure out which types of purchases are worth diamonds in general. Off the top of my head, there are 6 main types of diamond purchases in Choices: ‘friendly’ scenes with LIs (12-25 diamonds), ‘steamy’ scenes with LIs (25-30 diamonds), scenes with your whole friendship group, collectible items (e.g. the tapestry pieces in Bloodbound, the clues in Veil of Secrets, etc.), outfits, and pets. Your mileage may vary a lot on which of these are most important to you, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. But my general advice would be to i) prioritise group scenes above LI scenes, ii) prioritise ‘friendly’ LI scenes above ‘steamy’ LI scenes, iii) avoid collectibles, and iv) go for outfits and pets only if you really like the look of them. This advice is based on the fact that, firstly, I think you get a better experience of immersion in a book if you know a bit about all the characters around MC, rather than just about one LI; secondly, ‘friendly’ LI scenes tend to tell you more about the LI than ‘steamy’ scenes, which are often 80-90% copied-and-pasted erotica despite being more expensive; thirdly, collectibles are a massive drain on diamond stores, and almost always unlock quite short, generic scenes that it’s easy to find on Tumblr or YouTube; and fourthly, both outfits and pets don’t do much except appear in the story at key moments, which can be a really nice touch but is still only needed in moderation. Of course, there are exceptions to these rules, and you might find that those exceptions are sometimes book-specific. Which leads me to Part B of this point:

b) Figure out which types of purchases you want to prioritise in certain books. It’s all well and good for me to say that group scenes are usually better than LI scenes, but when I’m playing a book with an amazing LI but a pretty meh supporting cast (*cough cough* Myra Dixon carries Baby Bump on her shoulders *cough cough*), I obviously may need to adjust my spending habits slightly. Moreover, by focusing all your diamond spending on just one main thing per book – like Myra’s romance in Baby Bump, or the party’s side-quests in Blades of Light and Shadow, or the posse in Queen B – I think you end up with a much better playing experience, because you feel like you’re seeing at least one facet of the story in-depth instead of getting a patchy surface view of lots of different facets. For the most part, the purchases you prioritise in a book can mostly depend on personal taste, but there are a few books where some background knowledge might be helpful in the decision. Four things that I think are worth flagging are that i) the ‘competition books’ (America’s Most Eligible, Queen B, Hot Couture) do require regular outfit purchases to win, although winning isn’t that much better an experience than being runner-up; ii) Veil of Secrets and Nightbound are two books where it’s worth saving 30-35 diamonds for the final chapter, because your MC is forced to leave the small-town setting if you don’t; iii) Across the Void is a book that frequently invites you to spend diamonds to save characters’ lives, but their death arcs are honestly much better-written and more sensible than their survival arcs; and iv) the It Lives series is the only one where characters can die due to an accumulation of choices you make throughout the story, so maybe it’s worth keeping some diamonds in reserve for that one. Which just leaves us with one more sub-point:

c) Plan ahead before you start playing a book chapter about where you might want to spend diamonds. I want to take this opportunity to thank whichever people in the fandom maintain the Choices wiki, because oh my gosh, they are lifesavers. For the last year or so, my response whenever a new Choices chapter is released has been to wait a few hours, Google ‘[book name] choices’, open the wiki result, and skim through to check how many diamond choices are available & how much they cost. Because all the wiki includes are the possible responses to every choice presented – it doesn’t even state the wording of the choice itself – this is a relatively spoiler-free technique that helps a lot with big picture planning. For example, you might decide not to buy an early group scene because there’s a nicer-sounding LI scene later on, and come to think of it, you should replay a few more chapters of another book first to save up the diamonds for that scene. If you don’t mind encountering just a few more spoilers before you play the chapter, you can also scout out its diamond scenes in more detail by searching the relevant book or character tags on Tumblr, or by looking for a chapter stream on YouTube. You may decide that you don’t need to buy a diamond scene if you’ve already seen it played through by someone else, or alternatively, you may decide whether or not to buy a diamond scene based on how good it looks in an existing playthrough – in either case, these techniques can help you thoughtfully ration out the diamonds you have, instead of being caught off-guard whenever a diamond choice comes up.

5. On the subject of the Choices wiki, it’s also a great way to maximise your success in books without using diamonds. Whenever there’s a ‘right’ option to a choice that gives you a better outcome later in the chapter, that’s indicated in the wiki. So with a bit of pre-reading of the wiki before you play the chapter, and/or with the wiki open on a separate screen as you play, you can get the best outcome without having to buy that outfit or bonus scene that promised you ‘an advantage.’ Obviously, your mileage may vary on whether this method is actually worth it, or whether it takes all the fun out of Choices by ‘cheating’ at the gaming aspect. I personally view Choices as more of an interactive story app than a game I’m trying to beat, so I have no issue with this method, but opinions may differ and that’s okay.

6. If you’re really feeling like a lack of diamonds is limiting your playing experience, it may be best to start out with ‘cheaper’ books until you have more diamonds stored up. In this case, I’m using ‘cheaper’ to mean books where there are fewer diamond scenes, where diamond scenes are less expensive, and/or where diamond scenes don’t play as big a role in the plot. It can be hard to identify which books fit this bill, but as a general rule, it’s more likely to be the earlier-released ones or less-popular ones. Some which I’d recommend are the first few books of the Freshman series, the #LoveHacks series, the High School Story series, the Perfect Match series, Most Wanted, The Heist: Monaco, Wishful Thinking, Bachelorette Party, and The Royal Masquerade.

7. Finally, a really quick tip for making the most out of free keys – keys are used up as soon as you start a book chapter, and refresh ~every 3 hours. This means that, even if you don’t have time to play chapters every 3 hours, you should try to open the app roughly that often and just click to unlock a chapter. When you finally have time to play, you’ll have a whole lot of chapters ready to go plus another two refreshed keys, and you can power through them at whatever speed you need to fit in them into your break time or to earn diamonds for an upcoming release. Once again, this is a tip that may need to be practised in moderation, because you don’t want to be constantly interrupting your life to load up an app on your phone. But even if you just log in and unlock chapters every 6 hours, or every 12 hours, that’s still 2-4 extra chapters ready for you at the end of the day plus your two free keys.

I think that’s about all for my tips! Thanks for reading, and I hope it helped at least a bit ❤️

[alanncs]

hi my angels ! my name’s dani , i’m from toronto ontario aka best city in the worldt , & i’m 20  !  i’m the kelsey m on the main  &  i can’t tell u how excited i am to have wealthy up n running again !  i literally can’t wait to plot with all you beautiful peoples , so pls like this  &  i’ll slide in the dms , otherwise u can also hit me up on discord 𝒎𝒈𝒌'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒆 .#1958  !!  i’m gonna put all you need  2 know about alanna below aaand i hope y’all like her ! <3

new york’s very own alanna d'alessio was spotted on broadway street in gucci bee sneakers . your resemblance to hailey baldwin is unreal . according to tmz , you just had your twenty first birthday bash . while living in nyc ,  you’ve been labeled as being reticent , but also gracious . i guess being a scorpio explains that . 3 things that would paint a better picture of you would be anything pink , the lingering smell of weed , and a cigarette between her fingers . &  ( cisfemale & she/her  )  +  ( dani , 20 , she/her , est . )

                    *  /   𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠 .

full  name  :  alanna  marie  d’alessio  .

age :  twenty  -  one  .

hometown  :  new  york  city  .

zodiac  chart  :  scorpio  sun  ,  aquarius  moon  ,  libra  rising  .

character  inspo  :  alyssa  (  the  end  of  the  f*cking  world  )  ,  marissa  cooper  (  the  o.c  )  ,  hanna  marin  (  pretty  little  liars  )  .

                   *  /   𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚   !!  tw  : kidnapping , ransom , drugs

alanna was born heir to the d'alessio family which came with the billion dollar dynasty that her parents created . 

her dad is an italian government official  but they grew up in ny basically bc her dad is an ambassador/representative for italy  &  her mother is a super model who also wanted to raise her kids here having lived here her whole life , and so they did . 

she had everything handed to her on a silver platter and her parents expected nothing but success from her because of how wealthy they were, they knew they would never have to worry about providing for her and her siblings , and so they spoiled her with whatever she asked for and more

but that came with a price, she was expected to do everything they wanted of her, go to an ivy league college, follow in one of her parent’s career footsteps

alanna did just that, she got amazing grades in high school and was head of many student clubs, organized prom, got almost perfect on sat’s and exams, and busted her ass to get into a good college despite the fact that her parents could’ve easily gotten her a spot if she didn’t do as well as she did

her life was going so well, she had the perfect boyfriend, perfect group of friends, was on her way to brown university in a couple of months, her parents and her couldn’t have been in a better spot with their daughter

the last thing they expected was for someone, a stranger, to get their hands on their daughter . a week after her 18th birthday , she’s walking to school on a monday morning and before she knows what’s happening , there’s something over her head and she’s being dragged into a van and taken from her life

the one thing that was expected, was the $10 million ransom she was held for

basically her dad had some shady dealings with the italian mob & didn’t pay his debts to them for some time - so they kidnapped alanna in retaliation for that

they kept her for 3 days before her parents were able to work with the authorities to get her returned and pay the people in full

surprisingly, she was returned alive but she had to spend two weeks in the hospital afterwards with injuries

once alanna was returned, she wasn’t the same

she told the police what happened to her , but only barely . she didn’t tell her parents or anyone else about what they did to her when she was gone .

she didn’t speak , eat or sleep for two months after she got home

she spent the last few months of her high school in bed, she didn’t attend her graduation, deferred from going to brown in the fall, she didn’t see her friends anymore and she broke up with her boyfriend

the people who took her were never caught & she is still to this day completely terrified of going anywhere alone

she never walks anywhere alone  

it took her months to be able to get back to doing normal things again and being who she was before

to this day ,  alanna still struggles with the memories and the ptsd from what happened to her , but she doesn’t speak to anyone about it and she refuses to bring it up in any scenario

she also has a horrible relationship with her father now , having trouble forgiving him for what happened to her

some people know about it as obviously, being as famous as her family is, it was on the news at the time, and everyone she went to high school with knew what happened so sometimes it can be hard to avoid it

she wants to forget - here comes her secret - she got into drugs after the kidnapping and it quickly spiraled out of control , now she can’t seem to function without them because they’re the only thing that make her feel normal and make the memories fade

anything she can get her hands on rly

but the media think she’s an angel , her reputation has been kept p much pristine her whole life . and her parents have no clue how much she’s struggling or how much she’s changed . so if this were to come out , it would tarnish not only alanna’s reputation but her family’s  as well

                                         *  /   𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚  !!

after deferring from brown ,  alanna knew she had to find some way to keep herself occupied and make money , even though she could live off her parents for however long she wanted

alanna wants to be . miss independent .

so she started getting into modelling , bc of her mom it was easy for her to book gigs

she was able to book gigs like adidas , guess , calvin klein  etc  !

so  that was super exciting for her bc she got really into it and  enjoyed doing it sm

she started acting about a year ago - started off in a few movies , & now she’s currently starring in a netflix series - smth similiar to elite or on my block !

oko so in high school alanna was super bubbly , and just like the really overly nice girl that would talk to literally every 1

but it worked for her bc she was  voted prom queen  and valedictorian ! even tho she missed graduation . yike

Anyway now ! she is not v much like that anymore , except  when she’s super high .

since her kidnapping alanna has been closed off and aloof . in general , she’s not as talkative

she says what she thinks but it usually comes in one word mumbles

can sometimes b very entertaining  . she’s kinda like paris hilton a little bit

also think Marissa from the oc !!

call her a  spoiled brat she’s gonna be like “ yah… and ?”

she  can be very selfish to a fault  in certain situations

and very defensive if she feels attacked, judged , put into a corner , physically cornered , etc

she’s a hopeless romantic at heart and dreams of having an epic love story

but she  has Hella trust issues which easily lead to commitment issues for her so … she will cheat “by accident” lol

that’s why she tries to steer clear of relationships but she also has such a big heart she  falls in love 5 times a day sffsdkj

also w  how much this girl  can sleep around it’s not happening any Time soon 4 her ! she enjoys being single a lot

Bc she likes to get wild

shes like nicole richie on the simple life when she’s partying  lmao

like she likes 2 fuck with ppl sometimes lol , like she will flirt w anyone and everyone just cus she’s bored

umm she lives  in sweatpants n crop tops !

her hair is either in a  bun or just down , she’s rly lazy when it comes to hair and makeup   . like if her makeups done someone else did it lol

Unless she’s like fully in the mood

ooverall she’s a rly sweet lil bean whos just scared of humans ! :’(

um ya idk im always developing  her but IF U read  all this  ilysm !

here’s her pinterest board for more of an idea !

                                  *  /  𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔  !!

EVERYTHING   !  here is a link to my wc page & a link to my wc TAG which are both full of ideas so  msg me  & i’ll throw tons of ideas at u <333 let’s do it i luv plotting sm okay

[constantviewings]

The TV Show Trials - Batman: The Animated Series

Batman: The Animated Series is an animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski and produced by Warner Bros Entertainment.

Bonus review of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm at the end!

Batman and Robin, a pair of caped crusaders, battle crime in Gotham City.

Almost Got ‘Im

In a bar, a collection of Batman’s enemies chat about their failed attempts to kill him.

This episode is formatted as a clip show, providing four stories on top of the main plot of the episode. This episode was a great filler as it showcased so many villains including The Penguin who I, unfortunately, didn’t watch a whole episode dedicated towards.

Heart of Ice

Batman must stop a vengeful Mr Freeze from fulfilling his vendetta against a callous business man.

Heart of Ice was the first episode I watched and I think it was the perfect starting off point. I only found this out while writing this review, but this episode depicts an entirely different origin story for Mr Freeze compared to his debut; though the storyline depicted in this episode quickly became canon in all other media portrayals.

 Two-Face

Thought the ever calm Harvey Dent puts on a happy face in his bid for re-election as Gotham’s District Attorney, he can’t still supress the psychopathic split personality of ‘Big Bad Harv’.

I really enjoyed this pair of episodes and how easy it is to sympathise with Harvey Dent and, to an extent, Two-Face. This series also includes my favourite, and perhaps the most iconic, design of Two-Face.

 Robins Reckoning

When Robin discovers that the thug who murdered his parents is back in Gotham City, he recalls the vents of his life as a young circus performer and the tragedy that made him an orphan.

There are an awful lot of dead parents in the Batman franchise aren’t there? I loved seeing Robin take centre stage in these two episodes and watching how he came under Bruce Wayne’s tutelage.

Harley and Ivy

After a failed heist, a frustrated Joker boots Harley Quinn from his gang and leads her to form a partnership with fellow criminal Poison Ivy. Both The Joker and Batman set out to stop the amazing duo. Little do they know, no man can stop Harley and Ivy.

I loved this episode. Besides The Joker, Harley and Ivy were the only other Batman villains that I had decent knowledge about and I loved seeing this iconic pair work together. The Queens of Crime being foiled by another woman was a nice twist that subverted expectations, especially for this series.

 Over the Edge

Batman and his allies have their secret identities exposed and are now being hunted by the Gotham City Police.

Now don’t start complaining that this is from The New Batman Adventures and not Batman: The Animated Series, but given the fact that it was mentioned on eight different lists of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes; it counts. I’ll be honest, I was somewhat confused during the first half of this episode, as I feel most first-time viewers would have been, but I am a sucker for the ‘it was all a dream’ trope. Though my only issue with this episode was seeing Nightwing with long hair; gross.

 The Demon’s Quest

Robin is kidnapped, and Batman unexpectedly joins forces with Ra’s Al Ghul, whose daughter Talia has also been taken.

I didn’t really enjoy this pair of episodes; that is the only time I will say this. By half-way though the first episode, I found myself to not being paying any attention and ended up leaving the episodes on in the background; so much so, that I don’t remember anything that happened.

 Beware the Grey Ghost

Gotham City is struck by a series of remote activated bombings as a warning to a ransom demand. Batman realizes that the pattern of the recent bombings is based on an episode of an old television show, the “Gray Ghost”. Seeking information, Batman visits the actor who played the TV hero, Simon Trent.

This episode revolves around an interesting narrative device that shows both a young Bruce watching The Gray Ghost and present Bruce solving the crimes. Another feature that I only discovered upon writing this review is that Adam West voiced The Gray Ghost.

Joker’s Favour

An everyman schmo named Charlie Collins insults the wrong super villain on the road, leaving the terrified loser at the beck and call of The Joker. Two years later, he crashes in with Collins, who desperately tries to find a way to alert Batman to his master’s evil scheme.

This is an interesting episode, with the focus being on an everyday citizen who gets caught up in the crime world. Featuring Mark Hamill’s iconic performance as The Joker being the icing on top of a well written and entertaining episode.

 Perchance To Dream

After being knocked out in a mysterious warehouse, batman wakes up in an alternate existence that’s seen Bruce Wayne lead a fulfilled life with his family and fiancée Selina Kyle. But Wayne’s inability of live the dream reveals his mind to be in the thrall of The Mad Hatter.

I quite enjoyed this episode, especially as it highlights how much of Bruce Wayne’s personality and purpose is taken up by Batman. I don’t know much about The Mad Hatter and his ‘abilities’ so which did leave me somewhat confused, but it didn’t effect my viewing experience.

Zatanna

When the glamorous magician Zatanna is framed for a robbery during her act, Batman swings to her defence. Zatanna is grateful though a little puzzled by the Dark Knight’s commitment to prove her innocence, but the two heroes unite and use the skills her father, Zatara, taught them to expose and combat an evil illusionist.

I loved this episode, particularly the relationship between Bruce and Zatanna when they were younger. I don’t remember much of this episode outside of that.

 Trial

Gotham’s deadliest criminals, The Joker, Two-Face, Mad Hatter, The Ventriloquist, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy among many others, kidnap Batman and put him on trial in Arkham Asylum. The Dark Knight’s only hope rests with District Attorney Janet Can Dorn who, despite her anti-atman stance, is forced to defend the Caped Crusader’s life as well as her own.

Another villain-filled episode I really enjoyed. I’ve always enjoyed the aspect of superhero media that delves into the moral and justice-based side and this episode fully satisfied my craving. That, combined with the story of a DA coming to term with Batman’s presence in Gotham makes for a great episode.

 If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?

After being fired from Competitron; Edward Nygma takes over the identity of The Riddler in order to get vengeance over his former boss Daniel Mockridge. It is up to Batman and Robin to decipher the riddles that Nygma has been placing for them in order to save Mockridge from Riddler’s vengeance.

While writing this review, I did happen to confuse this episode with another episode featuring The Riddler; take of that what you will. Apart from that, I really enjoyed this episode.

 The Cat and the Claw

Catwoman and Batman join forces in an attempt to foil the evil forces of a terrorist by the name of Red Claw.

The pairing of Catwoman and Batman has always been a great one and this episode proves no different.

 What is Reality?

When the Riddler traps Commissioner Gordon’s consciousness in a virtual reality device, Batman must enter the villain’s construct to save him.

The only negative aspect of this episode is the dated understanding of Virtual Reality technology. Looking past this, this episode provides a great viewing experience.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

I never thought Batman’s origin story could get more tragic, but alas, this film proved me wrong. Featuring great animation, a compelling story, a darker tone compared to the animated series and a compact runtime of only 76 minutes, Mask of the Phantasm is a fantastic film that covers ground untouched by the animated series.

Rating: 4

After watching Batman: The Animated Series, I now understand why it is held in such high regard by Batman fans. Its compelling stories combined with iconic characters and performances make for a viewing experience unlike any you will find among any other Batman media.

 Did I like this show? Absolutely.

Will I continue watching? I would love to watch the entire series from beginning to end, but that’s for another time.

Artist Credits

George Caltsoudas

Phantom City Creative - Justin Erickson

Ken Turner