Congratulations, fellow royal! You have been invited to the home of Sonia Nevermind on the 13th of Penta. Nothing is required but your illustrious presence. And perhaps some stories of your homeworld.
[Wandering the streets of Verens in the evening is a completely normal thing to find Anakin doing. Granted, it's usually with more purpose and awareness than he's currently showing, but nothing about it too unusual.
Until he almost walks into a woman due to how distracted he is, of course.
He yanks himself back instinctually, wild-eyed and startled at how close he'd come to walking right into someone. It's insanely out of character for him, and he scrambles to apologize before he catches sight of Leia properly.]
...Oh.
["It's you" runs through his head, but stating the obvious is beyond his energy level right now. He can only stand there, out of her way to allow her to inevitably leave, as she always wants to.
He looks like he went a few rounds with a Gundark and barely walked away. He hasn't eaten today, and he's slept very little in the past few weeks. A decent shove would probably knock him over, if only he doesn't have his guard up enough to see it coming.]
[Wide-eyed and startled is about the same reaction Leia has after seeing just who it is that almost ran into her. She visibly tenses, her breath catching as she eyes him warily. It's no surprise to her that Anakin looks far worse off than the last time she'd seen him. She spoke with Obi-Wan, she knows how Anakin was and still seemed to be taking Padme's disappearance.
Rather than leaving immediately, Leia remains rooted to the spot, looking him over for any signs of him turning toward Darth Vader. Not that she knows what she should be looking for. Obi-Wan may have tried to assure her that he wouldn't let that happen, but her default state of being is basically not trusting Anakin to not be Darth Vader.
After a few long moments of warily staring him down, Leia finally replies. She would otherwise just leave, but the guilt of her last actual conversation with Padme being a fight about Anakin still weighs pretty heavily on her. She's not about to apologize for what she said or forgive Anakin for things he hasn't personally done yet, but the least she can do is something she thinks Padme might want.]
I'm sorry she's gone. [no "hello, how are you doing (obviously not well, since you look like shit)," because that's too friendly for him. But she can express her condolences.]
[Qui-Gon's still not entirely used to communicating with relative strangers through his thoughts--such abilities through the Force required a strong bond to fully actualize.]
[But he still manages to keep a polite air in his words, relying on his political savvy to cover any misgivings he may have.]
Leia?
This is Qui-Gon. If you have a moment, I would like to speak with you.
[Though she recognizes its usefulness, between disliking the feeling of someone else's voice in her head and the ease with which extreme emotions are transmitted through the connection, Leia has never really been much of a fan of using the crystals when not necessary. This, combined with Ben telepathically forcing memories of what he had done to Han into her mind, causes Leia to tense the instant she feels the telltale tingling of someone trying to contact her through the device. It doesn't last long, not until she registers it's the crystal and presumably not someone trying to do what Ben did. When she responds, though her voice is calm and pleasant, there's a bit of lingering tension that can be felt through the connection.]
It's good to hear from you again. I hope you haven't had trouble settling in. Did you want to speak through this, or would you rather meet in person?
Leia-san, please forgive my impertinence, but if you're free, would you be open to coming to my house for lunch? I am making the meal and would like to plan a party like the one I had a few months ago at my house.
If you can, please let me know.
Thank you for your time, Sonia Nevermind, Crown Princess of Novoselic â™›
[Not without some sense of propriety, Qui-Gon's done his best to avoid Leia and a few other choice individuals from their galaxy after that family meeting. Although his goal had been met... somewhat, that doesn't change the fact that words--most of them not very nice--were exchanged, and feelings had been hurt. Kind of the opposite of a peaceful cohabitation.]
[And with the disappearance of Anakin, the omelets made from far too many broken eggs meant part diddly and part squat, but not even enough to make diddly squat.]
[Let the record show that Qui-Gon Jinn is a proud man, his leonine features physically expressing that much at the very least, but he's not above apologizing when it's necessary. He also has the sense to give appropriate space to those he's wronged (and he's wronged plenty of people over the decades).]
[So when he spots Leia at the Boreas Harvest Festival, he trusts his instincts and experience and strides in her general direction, keeping an arm's length away when he comes to a stop, just enough to give her room while still making his sincerity known. For whatever it's worth*, and dips his torso in respectful greeting.]
[*see aforementioned diddly squat comment for details]
[Leia Organa had been brought up taking classes on proper etiquette and social procedure, learning how to act proper and princessy and in a way that befits her position. Unfortunately, that really just means she knows how to look polite while acting super rude, and considering her current feelings toward this particular giant Jedi master, that's precisely what she does.
Leia tilts her head, raising her chin as she turns toward Qui-Gon, her expression haughty and tight as she looks him over.]
Master Jinn.
[He can try to be more familiar and just call her "Leia" if he wants, but Qui-Gon hasn't made up for his past behavior as far as she's concerned. He's not close enough to be on a first-name basis here.]
If you plan on inviting me to another of your attempts to, what was it, "make up for our last meeting," I'll pass.
[to say that han is annoyed by the message he just received is a fairly massive understatement. after accidentally ripping the missive in half out of sheer rage, he manages to calm down enough to stomp into the house, find leia, and drop the pieces into her lap. which is pretty good, considering the urge he had to rip the thing into tiny shreds. signed "jabba the hutt"...what an ass. han would like to give a good kick to whoever really sent it, but first he needs to find out who it was.]
What the hell kind of friend is this?!
[...that's right leia, no context for you, just a ripped piece of paper and an extremely irate han.]
[And as usual, an irate Han only brings about an irate Leia in response. She doesn't give the paper scraps more than a passing glance before her attention is squarely on Han, her eyebrows raised and her lips pursed.]
I'll give you a chance to try that again.
[Because that's not how we ask people to do things, Han, and she's not looking at that paper until she's not being yelled at.]
[To say that's an alarming message is an understatement. It almost makes Leia feel sick, feeling that fear, anger, and the dizziness along with it. But, she ignores that as best she can, because the important thing behind those feelings is that it's a familiar presence giving those feelings off.]
Ezra? That's you, isn't it?
[Despite the alarm caused by the emotions in his contact, Leia does what she can to project a sense of calm with her words, in hopes that it may help.]
[ Just as promised, Eleanor has followed through with her plan to meet Leia at the cafe before their boutique visit. Having arrived early, she already has a small table ready for them, where she currently sat patiently sipping tea and trying her best to ignore any whispers that might have been about her. ]
[Not long after Eleanor, right on time for the time they've agreed on, Leia arrives at the cafe. She scans the room looking for Eleanor, and it doesn't take too long before she finds her. Ignoring any whispering, warnings, or dirty looks, Leia strides purposefully toward the table Eleanor's waiting at, her head held high. She gives Eleanor a soft smile as she sits, taking the seat with the back toward the wall.]
[There's a lot to be said about gift giving, even when you don't really fully understand the concept behind this seasonal celebration. Luke likes the idea of giving gifts, and he'll take any excuse he can to give something nice to those who are important to him.
Which is why Leia will find several small packages, individually wrapped with care. Within are an assortment of hair decorations collected from the various cities. ]
[It's a good gift on Luke's part. And while she does thank him after opening them, the biggest indication is that she can be seen regularly wearing them in addition to her usual ridiculously complicated braids. ...Well, maybe they're less complicated with the hair decorations, since the decoration itself makes the braid look more complex.]
[Poe wanted to deliver a gift in person along. There's a leather bag in one hand and in the other a small metal tin. The pilot was making a surprise visit to the Organa Residence. Mainly to see Leia but if any of the others were around it would be fine to see them too. Because the important thing of the small tin was that the thing inside could be shared by multiple people. The leather bag held something meant for Leia though. BB-8 is rolling along side of him slowly not wanting to slide against the snow. Once they were both in front of the door, he gives a small sigh while looking down at his bb unit.]
Alright, Beebee-Ate, remember what I said about this place being weird with time. It might be a bit shocking at first.
[BB-8 lets out a short beep while facing up at Poe before putting his attention on the door. Poe gives a few sharp knocks upon it. He hopes that someone will answer. If not he could easily leave the gifts at the doorstep.]
[Luckily for both Poe and BB-8, Leia is, in fact, home at the moment, so shortly after Poe knocks, she opens the door for the both of them. Leia greets Poe with a smile and a nod of her head before her attention is drawn downward to where BB-8 is standing. Her expression is a bit curious at first, having not known there were any droids in Verens, but it fades quickly and she gives BB-8 a smile matching the one she gave Poe earlier.]
Finn must be relieved you're back. [well she is too, but Finn was extremely worried. Even if Poe had been back a few days before this, it's still the first thing that came to mind.]
[Leia, on the other hand, while relieved, is a bit surprised at how quickly Ezra seems to have found his saber. As well as the distinct lack of the word "found." because saying he got it back is a bit different than saying he found it.]
[she's not sure what's going on on Ezra's side at all, and his hesitation clearly shows in his tone. So, while her response is warm as usual, her confusion is obvious.]
[so, today some guy asked leia out on a date over the amulets, only for everyone to see, and han is Not Happy. well, he's a little happy with the way the guy was immediately intimidated by him, but the scenario as a whole is annoying to him. he paces around the kitchen, grumbling irritably and thinking more than is healthy about the drawing larry showed over the amulet. where does he get off anyway, dedicating that amount of time to wooing han's...you know...the girl he's gonna spend his whole life with??
suddenly remembering that leia is home, he changes pace and stalks into the living room, the sight of her existing calmly in their house setting him off again when it would probably settle a rational person.]
Can you believe this guy?? You saw that, right?
[he even gestures to his head, presumably to make that statement more clear and to insinuate that he's talking about a telepathic message and not, like, something that happened just now in the kitchen or something.]
[This time, at least, unlike the letter from Ezra, Leia knows what Han is going on about. But that doesn't mean she doesn't think his reaction is a bit much. She raises an eyebrow, not really bothering to move from where she's sitting to meet him, but she does shift her legs so that he can sit down if he wants to.]
I did. And I told him I'm taken. I don't think it's as big a deal as you're making it out to be.
[On the day of February 14th, should they open the door, they might find a bag covered with candy nearby! And should that person also look closer, they might also see some jumbo pixie sticks in there too! Why, you might ask? The better question is why not!
And right beside the pink glittery bag, they might also find a note! What does it say, you might ask?]
Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you get a lot of candy and may you find love in your future! Just be sure to hold your breath, spin around 3 times, add some sugar down the toilet, and make a wish! I know it’ll come true for you!
[It's cute, and Leia's grateful that Mabel thought to send something to her, but well. She's confused. Doubly so because she only knows a bit about Valentine's Day, and none of the explanations on the network mentioned toilets and sugar.
So well. She has to ask.]
Is flushing sugar down a toilet how you celebrate this holiday?
[ The sun has yet to set on Verens, and yet there's a darkening cloud rolling over the city. It's following by the man whose riled up emotions are causing it. A man that used to be a Jedi and should be a Sith but somehow can't bring himself to call himself either.
Instead, he's running. He's running through Verens' streets faster than any human being should be capable of. Without looking where he's going and even keeping his eyes closed as he lets himself be guided only by the Force itself. The ground cracks every time one of his feet hits it. A trail of hot electricity following where he speeds by and the dark rumbling up above.
As he runs, Anakin tries to focus on the Force, but his thoughts are a chaotic mess of information that somehow all together make sense, but do nothing to keep his emotions from almost literally boiling over.
And all he can do is rush forward again. Straight at her. A loud crack of thunder sounding from above as he literally barks her name. ]
Leia!
[ Oh, he's angry. He's beyond angry. He's furious. Furious at her for doing what she did, but also for being who she is. But he's also furious at himself. For not seeing this sooner. For being blind. For being who he is.
But he's also furious with a sudden grief. A deep sadness that makes him want to scream. Because none of this should be as it is. Because he knows she hates him and he knows it's genuine and he knows it's very well deserved.
So when he stops again, so much closer to her, there's a wild flicker in the young man's eyes. Blue shifting to yellow and back as various layers of anger and hate and grief fight for dominance. Somehow he yet manages to control his voice enough to lower it, but it's anything but steady. The words he speak are mostly pressed through grit teeth while he still glares. ]
[Leia freezes as she hears her name shouted at her, from a voice she knows all too well and never wants to hear. Literally freezes, because the temperature around her drops, freezing the bench, the grass, the trees around her. Last she checked, Anakin didn't know her name. She never gave it to him, not her first name. He must have learned it from someone else here, which isn't all that shocking, but is just as undesirable as him knowing anything at all about her.
But that doesn't last long. Leia soon gets to her feet as Anakin draws closer--because sitting down with him that close puts her in a position she doesn't want to be in. A position where she feels trapped, that she can't get away easily if and when it comes to it.
As she gets to her feet, the cold is replaced with an almost unbearable, oppressive heat. The ice that formed earlier cracks and melts almost instantly, steaming and evaporating in the hot air. Because she's sure she knows what Anakin is talking about, it's not hard to guess, but it should be obvious why she hasn't told him. Why she doesn't want to tell him. And why she won't admit she knows what he's talking about now.]
I don't know what you're talking about. I've made my thoughts on you abundantly clear.
[Leia is genuinely surprised to actually hear from Obi-Wan, even more that he's offering an apology of some sort. The distrust and anger from before is still present, but at significantly lower levels than before. She's gotten somewhat of a handle on herself, thanks to time, ensuring Bail's safety, and also Han's presence.]
[Yoda had been meaning to speak to Leia again after their "defeat" of the Misers, but time, as it often did, got away from him. The amulet image that appears is of Yoda in what looks like a mud-hewn hut, dimly lit hut. He's still getting used to the whole "emotions" thing, but centuries as a Jedi had given him enough control over his thoughts that he can project only that which he wants to.]
Wish to speak to you I do, Princess Leia, if time for me you have.
[She wasn't expecting to hear from Yoda at all, if she were being honest. Leia doesn't know what to expect from him, but as with most of her contact over the crystal now, there's an icy chill of suspicion and defensiveness lingering behind her words, as if she's waiting for someone to contact her and accuse her of being in the wrong here.
But despite that chill, her tone is even and some semblance of polite as she responds. ]
[Usagi had said that she couldn't come to the desert because she was swamped in wedding preparations. Even though Allura and Leia had only met once before, she still felt a little bad for missing out on the celebrations.
So a day or two after the expedition returns, Han and Leia will have a nicely wrapped box delivered to their home. Inside are two all-around weapon maintenance kits, perfect for keeping melee, ranged, or firearm weapons in perfect condition. There's a letter inside too, handwritten in a certainly not English script, but with a cordial and warm message that's easily translated thanks to crystal magic.
Dear Leia and Han,
My apologies for being away during your wedding ceremony. Usagi told me it was a lovely, and between your love for each other and the cooperation between the three of you I'm sure it was. She also said actual weapons might be in bad taste for a wedding gift, but I thought these still might aid you in keeping yourselves and your new home safe. May any troubles you face be few and well defended against, and remember that you are always stronger together.
Congratulations and Best Wishes, Princess Allura of Altea
[Soon after Leia receives the gift and the note attached with it, she reaches out to Allura over the amulet. It's a thoughtful gift, made all the more thoughtful due to not knowing the other princess all that well. ...In all honesty, part of Leia does have to wonder just how many royals are here now, but that's a question for yet another time.]
I wanted to thank you for your kind gift, on behalf of both Han and myself.
[There had been a bit of an incident among some of those that had come from their galaxy. Something that Obi-Wan has been thinking on for a few days now. Something he decided he wanted to discuss with Leia. But in light of her recent wedding, he decided to wait.
But one day when he thought she might be less busy, or so he hoped, she would feel a certain presence reaching out to her through the amulets.]
Hello Leia.
I hope I'm not disturbing you. But I was wondering if you would be able to tell me a bit about Poe Dameron. You have a connection with him don't you?
[She can't quite mask her confusion at Obi-Wan's question, because Leia has no idea why this is something Obi-Wan is asking her now. She hasn't spoken with or heard much about Poe--aside from his occasional amulet broadcasts, which were ignored on her end--since she found out he was the one to tell Anakin. And as much as she likes keeping tabs on people from their galaxy, to know what's going on, with Poe, she's been happier not checking on him.
It was sad, in a way, because she had thought Poe to be a good friend before this. He was reliable, he was comfortable to be around, and he was someone she would've thought she could work well with. But his leaking secrets made Leia doubt everything she thought she knew about him, about their working relationship in the future, and about whether he actually cared about her in any way.
When she responds, her tone is restrained, a measured sort of calm that's very much reflective of how she was raised to present a neutral face to others even when it's hard, rather than of the more freely open version of her that Obi-Wan has been getting to know since they made up.]
According to him and the others from Ben's time, Poe Dameron is a member of the Resistance. He reports directly to me, or so I've heard.
[ He knew that he should have contacted her sooner than this. Much sooner than this. Poe wanted to keep his feelings in check. He needed to take a moment to gather his thoughts and feelings.
Through the link, if Leia chooses to open, she will feel a pull of regret and guilt. He’s going to try to keep it simple with a few words. ]
I should have trusted your judgement. My own was wrong, people make mistakes and I admit I made a big one.
I hope that one day you can learn to give me another chance. You were right and I shouldn't have said that to him.
[She does open the link, but it's closed as soon as Poe has said his piece. His apology is registered, but that's all it is, and she sees no reason to respond to let him know such. Knowing she got the message is more than enough.]
[han comes home at the usual time, tonight, but rather than throwing the door open and bellowing for leia, he just lets himself in like a normal person. he trudges through the living room, a tired thousand-yard gaze to his face, and drops his pack in the corner before disappearing in to the bedroom.
see, he had an interesting talk with rey about chewie today. and while it really warmed his heart that his crew sees chewie as a person, as someone valuable, talking about him with someone who clearly adores him is making han miss the big furry guy more than ever. it's not unusual for him to get moody about chewie not being around, but usually he gets it out of his system while no one's home. he's not usually this dramatic about it, either, but it hit him hard and unexpectedly this time.
in the bedroom, he considers just flopping on the bed fully clothed but isn't so lost in thought that he doesn't think leia won't have his hide for that, considering the state of his work clothes. instead he strips down and, after a bit of rummaging around, decides that a pair of pajama pants will be the most comfortable option. that done, and deciding he doesn't quite want to be alone, he trudges back out of the bedroom and flops on the couch, heedless of anything else other than leia's presence somewhere in the house. nope, he doesn't have anything to say. he's just going to lie with one arm dangling off the couch and sigh.]
[That's strange. All of it, from the quiet to Han actually willingly putting on pajamas while the weather is warm to him just lying down on the couch like that. She notices him as he heads toward the bedroom, confused by the lack of bellowing. Because as much as she complains about the bellow, she's come to expect it and associate it with Han being in a normal mood. So the lack of a bellow, plus Han walking out of their room wearing pajamas has her concerned.
After a quick trip to the kitchen to grab any medicine that may have been left over from the last time Han was sick--because the last time he offered to willingly wear pajamas was when he was sick and trying to entice her to stop sleeping on the couch--Leia joins Han in the living room.]
Did something happen?
[Her tone is soft, gentle, and reassuring. But she can't quite keep the concern out of her voice at Han acting so uncharacteristically quiet. ...And so pajama-friendly.]
[since arriving back in verens, han has had more on his mind than the continuing airship thefts, and the increase in workload for himself and his crew since they're now manning one of the few functional airships left in the dock. unfortunately, that other thing is leia and how odd she's been acting. sure, when he first got back she was a little clingy. it's not like he could blame her, he was the exact same way when she died for a few days last year...or was it three years ago...damned timelines and leaving and coming back.
at any rate, he didn't think much of her wanting to be near him constantly at the time. it seemed only natural. but in the weeks since it seemed like her behavior had slowly been ramping up, like she was getting worse about it instead of better. and this morning when he got up he noticed she felt a little warm. even though she insisted she felt fine--while proving he wasn't the only one in this relationship capable of acting like an octopus in bed, which was alarming in its own way--he couldn't help but worry about it. he went on to the docks, but the longer the day went the more it bothered him, and finally he gave up and told the kids he was leaving early.
so, it's barely past lunch when he gets back to the house. he even picked up some medicine from the local apothecary, not that he trusts the medicines available in this backwards civilization that much, but it didn't kill him the last time he was sick so it must be all right. he enters the house cautiously, thinking she may be resting due to obviously not feeling well. you don't feel good when you run a low grade fever, right??]
Leia?
[he's not even yelling, just wandering through the house trying to find her.]
[contrary to what he expects, Leia is far from resting. She feels perfectly fine, she has no need or desire to rest anymore than she already does. And what good is lying in bed if Han isn't there with her? She was almost tempted to follow him to work to continue to be close to him, but luckily for Han, he had left before the impulse crossed her mind.
So instead she made up her mind to be useful here by making their home feel more liveable. More permanent. Because there was a lot that could be done to improve their life here, and why wouldn't she want to do that? Verens was a wonderful place, and she had a home here. A physical home. It was more than she could say for back in their galaxy. Han was here, Ben was here, her father was here. They should really just... stay here.
It doesn't take much from Han to get Leia's attention, the effect of him just wandering and softly calling out for her pretty much the same as if he had bellowed for her. Leia drops whatever she had been doing in favor of immediately going to his side. She reaches for him instantly, placing her hands--still oddly warm feeling--on his shoulders as she beams up at him.]
[He may say it isn't urgent, but Leia gets back to Qui-Gon not long after receiving his message. There's no point in putting things off, if you ask her, urgent or not.]
[so, thanks to small-town jail competency issues, it's actually a bit late in the evening when han's release is finalized. they give him his clothes and dirty knapsack back and set him loose on the streets. naturally han goes directly to the house he and luke have been sharing, letting himself in without any fanfare...until he gets to the living room and sees that his slowly expanding junk pile has been nearly obliterated and tucked neatly into one corner.]
That little womp rat! He said he wasn't going to move my stuff around! Luke!!
[he spares not a single thought for the possibility that luke isn't home, or that someone else might be.]
[it isn't so late that Leia is asleep yet, but it's late enough for her to be at home and not out getting a feel for this city. Everything of interest is closed by now, and wandering around an unfamiliar city in the dark isn't the best of ideas. And besides, it's not like there's a shortage of things she needs to do here, because as much as she loves Han and Luke, their explosive bachelor pad is kind of in need of serious help.
So it isn't Luke that answers, it's Leia, emerging from a room Han probably recognizes as his.]
Actually, that was me.
[she'd explain more but well--Han is here and not in jail, and she's a bit surprised but mostly glad to see he's out. ...even if she may think it's stupid how he got himself arrested in the first place. She looks Han over for a moment, totally ignoring the pile of junk he's so outraged about for now. ]
You could have told us to meet you at the jail. We would've walked home with you.
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