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[He's succeeding in getting some sort of emotional rise out of Leia, at least, even if it may not be a positive one for now.]

There are spare blankets in the closet down the hall.

[There's your answer, Qui-Gon.]

I thank you for your hospitality.

[It sounds like something that could be said sarcastically, and seeing that this is Qui-Gon speaking, there’s always that chance. The guy is a master at passive aggressive ploys.]

[But it isn’t. Just like everything else, outside of the one or two bits of dry commentary from earlier, Qui-Gon’s words are sincere.]

[That being said, he’s pretty sure he’s in this one for the long haul. Hoo boy.]

[He absolutely is. Because if Leia is two things, those things are stubborn and reluctant to talk about her own personal feelings, and both of those combine into probably the worst disaster for Qui-Gon to deal with.

And while it's not as if Leia ignores him while he's camping out in her living room, she doesn't give in and talk about her feelings just yet. If it were up to her, she just. Wouldn't. It's up to Qui-Gon to give her a nudge or a heavy shove if he wants that to happen.]

[Qui-Gon likes to consider himself a pretty good judge of little things like character, intentions, and when it's a good time to metaphorically shove a stubborn space princess into discussing her feelings. After these past few days of camping out (literally, if the tiny little sprouts he's brought along are anything to go by), it's become even clearer than before that Leia Organa is made of emotional durasteel. Which is far from a bad thing, but also far from the healthiest.]

Good afternoon.

[He's perfectly pleasant when he greets Leia, a gentleman in every single way... if we don't count the hostile takeover of his friend's living room.]

[Leia absolutely counts the hostile takeover of her living room. You know, just for the record. As fond as she may be of Qui-Gon, she's not so fond of living with him for this long of an extended period of time, especially when she didn't exactly invite him in the first place.]

Are you planning to leave the couch today?

[Why wouldn’t she be okay with him dropping by for this long? It’s a totally normal thing to do, invading someone’s house and making camp in the living room until they share their feelings.]

I’d considered it.

Perhaps after this morning’s meditation.

[No one can ever say the Jedi weren't creative with their problem solving.]

Perhaps it would be more effective if you meditated elsewhere. A change of space could be nice.

[Which, in itself, is a creative way to say they’re a bunch of buttholes]

I agree that it would.

Unfortunately, I cannot leave until we have our chat.

Then we can start with annoyance.

[Which is a not so subtle hint that she's annoyed with Qui-Gon's Jedi nest he's built on the sofa.]

At least it is a start.

[Qui-Gon motions to a nearby chair... as if this is his actual living room and his actual right to give permission to use it.]

[She's not sitting just yet, she's too annoyed and stubborn to sit. Instead, she just raises an eyebrow as Qui-Gon goes around acting like he owns the living room housing his jedi nest.]

[It’s totally cool and 100% expected, considering the circumstances and the giant Jedi nest.]

[There may or may not be a couple of birds and/or squirrels hopping around said nest. No promises either way.]

This room is still yours. If you want to sit, you may.

[How the heck can you say a place belongs to somebody and then give them permission to use it, dude?]

I'll stand.

[For now, at least. She wants to retain some level of control over the situation here, no matter what Qui-Gon intends for this conversation.]

You can continue.

Leia.

[Qui-Gon’s tone isn’t stern, per se, but it does take on a little more of a serious tone. There is a serious reason behind his overly drastic measures after all.]

We need to talk about your emotions. Even if we just start with how you’re feeling now.

My emotions are perfectly in control. None of this is nothing I haven't dealt with before.

[Aside from a space hippie making a campsite out of her couch. Luke would at least be more polite about it all, and probably include more sad puppy eyes.]

Control isn't the same as a healthy coping mechanism.

[Leia you're in trouble if you're hearing this from a Jedi of all people.]

Control is all I have.

[You want the honest truth about Leia and dealing with her emotions? Well that's it.]

[Aha.]

[The creases around Qui-Gon's eyes soften as he gestures to a seat.]

Then we can start there.

[This time, finally, Leia does sit, probably because of Qui-Gon no longer giving off the same frustrating hippie jedi more intent on solving a problem air that he did before.]

There's not much else to say. It's common sense, I'd think.

[Gotta have that talk before it pops up again!]

Not as much as one would think.

[He stoops forward, his philosophical features taking over as he presses the tips of his fingers together, contemplating not a problem to be solved (as Leia has already observed) but a friend to be helped.]

[Qui-Gon also knows he doesn't have to sugar-coat his words for the hardy princess in front of him.]

Exercising what little control you have over the events that affect your life is only a coping mechanism. It isn't a solution. Eventually, like all of our endeavors, it slips.

The difference is that if you view that control as all you have, then you resign yourself to nothing. An empty void that offers you no solace and no solutions to the bigger problems you're due to face.

Control is a weapon, Leia, not a defense. And you're using it against yourself.

[Logically Leia knows there's truth in what Qui-Gon is saying, because she can easily see herself saying as much to someone else having trouble. But it's not something she wants to accept applying to herself.]

In theory, perhaps.

I have jobs that need to be done and an image to upkeep. People depend on me holding it together when they cannot. With how much there is to process, I owe it to others to do that for them.

And from what I understand, part of the purpose of our talks was to allow ourselves another individual to which we're not beholden to. Someone to listen to our woes and provide impartial advice and an empathetic ear.

[Qui-Gon takes a moment to think about his next words, breaking eye contact as he gestures with his hands. They aren't the sweeping displays that he's made in the past when a talking point required overt signs of passion and energy, but more subdued movements to emphasize his words and, most of all, just how much he cares.]

Support--even emotional--isn't a mountain, Leia, and you are not the peak.

It's a web. A chain. And you have those who want nothing more than to provide for you. To allow their help isn't taking advantage of them, nor is it showing vulnerability. It's strengthening everyone who is attached to you.

[It sounds nice, yes, but the way Leia sees things, her situation is far more complicated than just this. Perhaps not specifically with dealing with her loved ones leaving Empatheias while she's still here, but in a more general sense. Because the way Leia sees all this, it's nothing new or any worse than what she's dealt with before, so it isn't a big problem.]

I'm the last surviving ruler of a people that no longer have a planet to call home. I have to be composed for their sake, so when they look to me, they can find some sense of hope for their future. Something like this, people leaving, is nothing compared to that.

[Qui-Gon raises his eyebrows.]

Do you truly believe that behind every composed leader, there was nobody else there to field their concerns? Think of your parents. Didn't they have each other to confide in? To speak to when they had doubts, or when they felt overwhelmed?

Here, you don't have the added pressure of rulership. You have friends and family who care deeply about you and your well-being. Insisting that everything is fine and putting on a mask isn't going to assuage that concern or their fears, nor is it going to do you any good. Not in the long run.

They did.

[The unspoken part she doesn't add is that for the longest time, long enough to get used to it, she felt she didn't. There was no one around she felt close enough to trust with something that personal for ages.

Han, Luke, and Chewie were the ones she felt most comfortable around, but it took far longer than just that for her to be comfortable talking with any of them about her problems. The others she was close to, she didn't want to discuss this with and risk not being permitted on missions or being treated like she was also going to break.]

This is the only way I could cope with that. With any of it.

[That, or letting the stress out with arguments with Han back before.[

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