#about lajulie

[lajulie24]

For the head cannon ask game?:

- The first time Han and Leia kissed?

-Something that most people in-universe don’t know about them (their relationship)?

Ah, yes, my beloveds.

First time Han and Leia kissed: I have a ton of headcanons and versions of this. Sometimes I go with “the kiss we see in the circuitry bay in ESB is the first kiss” but I like to mix it up and I have a lot of “kissing pre-ESB” thoughts (and fic scenes) for them too.

Here’s one version I like: the first time they technically kissed was for a mission, play-acting as a couple, although they were each a bit more into the kiss than either were willing to admit at the time. Pretty soon after (not even a different mission, just a time when they weren’t play-acting anymore and their cover was safe), they were having a little downtime at the dejarik table, just talking and laughing and flirting, and at some point they looked at each other and then just naturally leaned in and kissed each other for several minutes, until they heard Chewie’s footsteps and pulled apart.

Something that most people in-universe don’t know about them (their relationship): They don’t know how soft these two are for each other in private, once they get together. I mean, their friends generally know this (*insert Luke rolling his eyes at their PDA*) but they don’t even know the full extent, that Leia leaves Han little love notes to find in the laundry or the spice rack when she’s about to go off-planet for work, or that Han sleeps on Leia’s side when she’s gone because it has her scent on the pillow and he sleeps better that way.

Thank you for the ask!

Headcanon party!

[smugglerofsass]

For the fanfic author ask, #3 and #4 for let's finish (what we started) please? Thanks!

Ooh! My soft fav featuring the sorta-trope-that-I’ll-make-a-trope-if-it-kills-me! This is a loosely connected, sort of epilogue to the only what he takes with him trilogy-of-sorts that features cuddling on the Falcon’s hull. 

3. What’s your favorite line of narration?It’s sort of a tie because I love imagery and this fic abandons all the strict, specific rules I set out for myself in its related works (only what he takes with him & only pain left to carry)

In their nest, the rest of the party seemed distant, background noise to the movement of fingers, the motion of lips. They were still fully clothed though fatigues had been exchanged for shipboard clothes, warm, worn sweatshirts their defense against cold night air.

OR

The need to cry flared sharp in his chest, stinging his eyes, and he ducked his head, tucking it against her chest. 

Han having physical, intimate contact with another person? Han being emotionally vulnerable and sharing that? Leia being present at all? Cuddling in comfy clothes? (This fic is essentially fan service except for me and I’m only sort of sorry to admit it.) I love together and comfortable Han and Leia and I really didn’t want this to be a time for them to doubt each other and they really don’t. They’re having their own little celebration with a bit of a serious conversation mixed in where Han wishes he could get back even a tiny piece of all Leia’s lost. In the end they make it clear to themselves and each other they’re in this together, no matter why because they love each other. 

4. What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

This fic (blue sunday not withstanding because it was posted barely a month before and barely features a full conversation) is my first published fic since October 2015 to feature dialogue. And it features two of my personal favorite lines I had been messing with and turning around for sometime before the whole thing came together!

“I’d give it all back to you, if I could. Every bit of it, Lei. I’d do anything, I’d-” 

&

“You’re enough, Han.”

My probably overused motif of Han shortening everyone’s names to make a nickname shows up here as well as more emotional openness for him and Leia makes a similar return. I see no reason for them to doubt eachother through the end of the war, especially when I see them sticking very close together throughout, so what better way for them to clear up any doubts the other has than to tell them unequivocally you’re what I want?.

Thanks for the questions! Hope the answers you desired lie somewhere in this word vomit. I often overlook this fic because of it’s complete style change but it’s very close to my heart. 

[graciecatfamilyband]

Fanfic Author Appreciation Day 2019

Happy Fanfic Author Appreciation Day! I have not been very active in the fanfiction community in the last two years, mostly because I’ve been trying to get ahold of my “real life.” Fanfiction as an “institution”, however, and the time I have spent among Han/Leia and other writers, is still precious to me. 

To celebrate one of my favorite days, therefore, I am going to list both works I already love and works I am looking forward to reading (because I am so behind). Please, if you do read, leave these great writers the gift of a comment- even if it’s short, and even if you feel like you can’t find the words to capture what you mean, please say something, anything. Commenting is the best way to thank people for their hard work. 

@onwardintolight - The Opening (multi-chapter)

I won’t link to it now because I know Onward has been completing the full multichapter and revising what’s already been written. But the word on the street is it’s finished and in the process of getting ready for publication. I am so excited to continue to read this psychologically mature and nuanced take on Leia opening herself to a relationship with Han over the course of trip to Bespin. Onward has real mastery into both Han and Leia as well as in how human beings process complex emotions. Her writing style makes me think of the word “lyrical.” I can’t say enough good things about this piece. Check it out and/or her excellent one-shots at AO3 or FF.net. 

@lajulie24  - This Gun’s for Hire and Sampler (one shots), Epic Love (multi chapter TFA fix it)

I legitimately didn’t know what of hers to recommend, because she has written so much and its so consistently great. So I chose these two just because I love Bruce Springsteen (can you guess which song This Gun’s for Hire is based on?) and because I selfishly got LaJulie to write Sampler for me. Both stories are just as good as everything else she writes, but honestly (like so many of these writers), you could put her stories on a dart board and read whatever you hit. It is also important to me to shout out Epic Love as it is a phenomenally on-point TFA fix-it that makes me angry Lajulie’s not writing for Disney.  Go read her stuff at AO3 or FF.net.

@organanation - Her Worship’s Kaffe (one shot)

I am a sucker for Han and Leia drinking hot beverages and any and all headcanons that come with them, so this little one-shot has always been close to my heart although @organanation has written many more fluff pieces and multichapters (including a bit of Bail and Breha Organa!). Organanation is now sharing her talents with the Perry Mason fandom, but she will always be part of my Han/Leia experience. <3 AO3 or FF.net.

@madame-alexandra‘s - Bloodstripes, Identity (multi-chapters)

I have been waiting years to read Bloodstripes. For a long time my excuse has been that it wasn’t written yet. Now it has been, so it’s time for me to get reading! That being said: I loved every snippet of it that I read on tumblr, so I’m very excited. I also may or may not remember a specific summer as the summer I spent counting minutes between Identity updates and ensuring I had special time to relish them when they hit. (Not that kind of special time, get your heads out of the gutter!) Check out these MCs as well as some wonderful one-shots at AO3 or FF.net.

@yoyomarules (aka spinninginfinity) - Gifts, Here Where Our Pieces Fall in Place

Gifts is only 1500 words but it made me LAUGH! And then SpinningInfinity, sly things, just slips in the sentiment in a way that is just... so effective and touching. Her work and all of its elements are great, but she has a real gift for dialogue and for always capturing the humor without shying away from the other feelings. Pieces is a tender and real NSFW moment between Han/Leia post his ROTJ rescue. On AO3 only. 

@otterandterrier - Inventory of Han Solo Kisses (collection of one-shots), Homecoming (multi-chapter)

Anything by her, really, but I can’t get enough of the Inventory series and am looking forward to catching up with her post-ROTJ multi-chapter. I especially admire @otterandterrier‘s ability to make things feel “real” while still being (to me, at least) thrilling, romantic, and well-written. Check her out on AO3 or FF.net. 

@chancecraz - Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns (Multi-chapter, time-travel TFA fix-it)

Another on my long-time to-read list, but every snippet I’ve ever read makes me feel all the feels. Even if TFA and time-travel fix-its don’t seem like your thing, she has such a fantastic grasp of the characters that she reels you in. Can’t wait to do a proper read. Chancecraz is on AO3 only. 

GreyAthena - A Journey of A Thousand Miles  

A lovely multi-chapter of Han and Leia’s relationship spanning the trilogy. Chapter one is my favorite fic interpretation of the trip from the Death Star to Yavin ever. On AO3 only.

@gondalsqueen - En Route (One-shot, NSFW)

En Route is one of my favorite NSFW fics ever. It is trip-to-Bespin, Han/Leia, erotic but with so many feelings. Masterful. Gondalsqueen writes more Rebels fic than Han/Leia, but is a formidable talent. Check her out on AO3 only.

[otterandterrier]

Fanfic Writers Appreciation Day Mini Rec List!

Thank you, fanfic writers, for filling in the gaps to make our favourite characters and ships more tridimensional, for stiching up and making a patchwork out of defective canon, for pouring your hearts out and sharing them with your readers 💖💖💖 Here’s a short list of Han/Leia fics I’ve had the pleasure of reading these past months:

General distraction by @corellianangel - RotJ. Han is trying to work; Leia is determined not to let him. Brilliant insight into Han’s mind and motivations post-carbonite and his changed relationship with Leia, plus sexy and fun!

You and me could calm a war down by @graciecatfamilyband - Post-RotJ. Han and Leia find themselves facing a different kind of challenge together. A touching vignette on what parenthood entails and why they’re still the best partners in crime. 

untitled by @inelegantprose - Post-RotJ. Han and Leia take their adopted daughter to the beach for the first time and it’s as adorable as it sounds.

Tramps like us and Blame it all on my roots by @lajulie24 - lajulie is so prolific I can’t help but rec at least two fics! One is pre-ESB, the other post-RotJ, and they both illustrate exactly what it is that makes Han and Leia special.

untitled by @madame-alexandra - Very nsfw, very hot.

untitled by @organanation and @graciecatfamilyband - Post-RotJ. Now it’s turn for Leia to try to do work and Han to try his damnedest to distract her. Will it work? ;);) sexy times!

untitled by @winterbythesea - Pre-ESB. Han has Leia’s back... not because he cares about her or anything. Right?? This is the kind of vignettes that work like the lower bricks on a wall, holding up the rest; in this case, building a base of friendship.

Misdemeanors by @yoyomarules /spinninginfinity - Pre-ESB. Leia asks Han to help her on some personal assignments; he gives up trying to pretend he hates it. Funny, clever, and a great execution of the prompt “partners in crime”!

[contrivedcoincidences6]

Hello friend! I have the great pleasure of writing for you for this year’s Hanleia Holiday Exchange. I just wanted to reach out and let you know how excited I am to create something for you to enjoy!

I do have a couple questions based on the tags that you provided as well as your comments in the request. You mentioned liking Rebels and other fun Star Wars things that aren’t the films, but I was wondering how you felt about including some of the novels and video games in the fic? It won’t necessarily be central to the plot and won’t include anything from the sequels as requested, but I certainly would love to keep as many options open as possible. Also, you mentioned smut a few times, but would it be too terribly disappointing if I weren’t to include any? If it’s a dealbreaker, I’ll try my best, but I’ll be honest and say that I’m not that great at it. XD

I look forward to seeing your answer and enjoy your writing as well!

This is so thorough thank you! I would LOVE book references legends or canon I’ve not played the video games at this time but know the storylines of most I’d maybe not get those references right away but I love combining the overarching storylines of all of gffa.

I’d honestly prefer at least some smut even if it’s not super explicit. Does not have to be perfect! I’ve heard you on that everyone has different niches! Go with your gut and what you feel works best for the storyline. If you need help or smut advice please feel free to reach out my anon is always on. Also I know a lot of us in the exchange would be happy to help (lajulie and dessi know my style and what I’m in to).

If you feel like there is no good way to fit it in just do your best and go with your gut.

As long as there is so me cute toe curling romance in there I’ll be happy! I love the lore and it sounds like you do too so I’m sure I’ll love it! Thank you! I’m so excited!!!!

[lajulie24]

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

Answered here, thank you! Although I will add that Han and Leia are very Benedick and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing, so would definitely be open to that as a specific AU idea as well.

Thank you so much for the ask!

Fanfic writer asks!

[lajulie24]

🤔 What is the hardest part of writing fic?

&

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

🤔 What is the hardest part of writing fic?

This will sound flip, but….writing it? Yes, sometimes the words sort of fly out of me onto the page and I’m basically just trying to keep up typing fast enough to capture what my brain came up with, but that’s more often not the case. A lot of times I’ve spent a fair amount of time envisioning scenes (while driving, while walking, while showering) that come up movie-style in my head, but then when I go to describe that interaction on the page either it’s not quite as poignant or affecting as it was when I had envisioned it, or it’s a great standalone scene but hell if I know how to get the characters there or what the hell they’re going to do AFTER they do that perfect scene I’d come up with. Or sometimes I start writing it and I get to that moment I’ve envisioned and I’m like “this person would never actually do this / say this.” Because humans (and other sentient beings one might find in Star Wars) very often don’t say the perfect thing in the moment, and they react differently than I might script them to, and sometimes they surprise me (and themselves?) a bit by doing something they wouldn’t normally do but will do when their guard is down / their guard is up / they’re with someone they trust / they’re in a traumatic situation / they’re struggling with who the hell they even are anymore / they’re comfortable in a way they hadn’t been before etc.

Oh, and writing the positioning of people’s bodies when they’re kissing or fighting. That’s another hard thing to write. Especially for love / sex scenes because you’re trying to make sure you’re describing things people’s bodies actually DO, and then if it’s supposed to feel good for the characters you want it to be something this person would actually enjoy in the moment, and there’s always a limb in the way or a height difference (Leia, you are so damn short and Han is so damn tall). And let’s face it, the practicalities of a sex scene (how we’re getting clothes off, for instance, or which way bodies are turning) are often not super sexy to read about, but if you don’t handle them in some way I always feel like the reader is going to be taken out of the scene anyway, wondering how their clothes evaporated off of them or how the hell they can enjoy this leaning up against some hard surface on the Falcon.

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

I don’t do research in terms of researching Earth time periods or political movements or things like that. What I do often do is spend an inordinate amount of time down various rabbit holes on Wookieepedia. Sometimes this is deeper research (I’m looking for a character or event I could use for a plot I have in mind, or I need to know more about a character’s backstory so I can use that as a shortcut to understanding them a bit better, or I need to know how the Alderaanian succession crisis played out because I’m interested in where Bail and Breha or Leia would be coming from on something, or I want to know more about the kinds of things Han or Luke or Leia would have been exposed to growing up, or I need some info on ships they’d be using or trying to steal or whatever). Sometimes it’s my ridiculous brain insisting that even though the planet name I need is for a mission we are literally going to mention only in passing in the fic, that it’s imperative that I use the Galaxy Planet Map and Wookieepedia to find the ‘right” planet for this mission (can’t have too much of an Imperial presence, has to be somewhere humans live and have some kind of reason they would go there, etc). Ditto for “I need the name of a fruit someone is going to eat” or “I need a tool someone is going to use that isn’t a hydrospanner” or the like.

Deepest dive I’ve done would probably be me preparing to write some flying scenes (with X-wings, and later with the Falcon) in The Solo Girls, because I don’t normally write a lot of battle scenes and I wanted them to not suck. Plus I was trying to portray that Jaina and Rey and the older Rogues are excellent pilots. So I reread some parts of the X-wing novels (the Aaron Allston ones, because he has more of the balance of action and characterization that is what I was going for, as opposed to more technical descriptions), and looked up flight terms that pilots would use, and watched excerpts from Star Wars battle scenes and from movies like Top Gun or Iron Eagle on YouTube. At the end of the day I didn’t actually end up using much of what I watched and read, but I think it did give me a better sense of what I like to read and what I care about in the scene, which was helpful.

The other deeper dive I tend to do a lot is looking up slang terms or phrases in the GFFA, as well as using the Coruscant language translator (where you can translate things to and from Old Corellian, Mando’a, Huttese, and a few other languages, although I generally use it primarily for Corellian), so I can make up Corellian toasts and things Han Solo would say in bed.

Ironically, despite all this research, sometimes if I’m not satisfied with what I’ve found I’ll just make something up anyway. “Eh….you know what, they’re just going to eat space oranges, screw it.” “I’ve decided the flex capacitor is a thing.” “That story from Legends is stupid and creepy, so I’ve decided that didn’t happen, but I’m still going to use that character.”

Thank you for the ask!

Fanfic ask game

[lajulie24]

Ruin your lipstick

Fandoms: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Legends

Pairing: Leia Organa/Scarlet Hark (Star Wars Legends)

Rating: T

Rebellion spy Scarlet Hark is good at her job. Very good. But that’s not the only thing Leia notices about her when they team up for a mission.

Set shortly after the events of the Legends novel Honor Among Thieves (where Scarlet first appears), around two years before the events of The Empire Strikes Back.

See, sometimes talking about our WIPs gets us to finish them! Scarlet Hark was a fun spy character who interacts with both Han and Leia in Honor Among Thieves, and I always thought she’d be a lot of fun paired with Leia. Hope you enjoy!

[lajulie24]

Question meme

I was tagged by @graciecatfamilyband (thank you!)

Rules: Always post the rules. answer 11 random questions posted for you. create 11 new ones and tag 11 people. Let the person who tagged you know that you answered.

1. Do you drink tea, and if so, what is your favorite kind?

I do, quite a bit in fact. Favorite is hard to choose because it depends on mood and how much caffeine I’m craving. I love smoky black teas like Lapsang Souchong; there’s a tea from Harney & Sons called “Paris” that is similar to Earl Grey but, in my opinion, better; and my go-to when I’m sick or just feeling snuggly is Tazo’s China Green Tips with a little honey.

2. If you were Leia, after ROTJ, would you train with Luke to become a Jedi, or stick to politics? Why? 

Oh, this is a great question. I would kind of try to do both, and here’s why: if I were Leia, I wouldn’t be able to keep myself away from using my talents and expertise to actually help build the new Republic that I’d been fighting for, that my planet died for, that had been my parents’ dream and became my dream. So I’d want to at least be an instrumental part of that early building of the new Republic. But at the same time, I think I’d be impatient with the bureaucracy that will eventually be a part of things (because I’ve spent the last five years taking action) and would decide that my priorities had changed too much to be compatible with politics over the long haul. Plus, if my brother is the last of the Jedi and I have that power too, maybe I kind of owe it to myself to explore what the hell that means, not only so poor Luke doesn’t have to do everything himself, but also because maybe it’s time to figure out how Leia wants to fit into everything. I also think I (Leia) would figure out a way to be a Jedi that might not be as much about battles--it might be more about diplomacy or some of the other things I’m good at. 

3. What musical album would you recommend to a friend?

I came up with about 50,000 answers to this question, which is obviously not helpful at all. So I’m going to give a few recommendations: Luscious Jackson’s Electric Honey; the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever (awful movie, great disco soundtrack); Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor; and Van Morrison’s Moondance.

4. Which part of a cat is more beautiful: their whiskers or their beanie toes? (You have to pick one. No both, or neither, or other body part will be accepted!)

Beanie toes. For sure.

5. What is the plot of a fanfic you’ve always wanted to write but probably never will (or won’t for a very, very long time)? (Alternatively: Fannish daydreams that you don’t want to write down.)

My “wants to do everything” brain refuses to believe I have an idea I will never write. That said, I had an idea a while back for a HanLeia Dirty Dancing AU that I probably will not write for a really long time.

6. What is your favorite number? Any particular reason?

24. It’s hard to explain why, but it has something to do with 2 + 4 = 6 and 6*4 = 24 and 2 + 2 = 4 and...patterns / symmetry? It just makes me happy.

7. What would you tell a person new to Tumblr and/or fandom?

Tumblr newbies: Welcome! Take a look around, follow people you think seem interesting, keep an open mind, reblog stuff that interests you. Block pornbots that follow you. Use Anonymous asks only for spreading the love or for asking genuine questions that you’re too shy or embarrassed to ask with your blog name attached, NEVER for criticism or hate.

Also for Tumblr/fandom newbies: Something I didn’t figure out until I’d been here for a while is that a lot of people who seem kind of cool and maybe inaccessible because a lot of people follow them or rec their fics or have inside jokes with them, ARE cool but also totally nice and friendly and just are here to hang as well. So don’t be afraid to say hi or interact.

8. What’s the hardest thing you did this week?

Avoid obsessing about how I look compared to how I *used* to look, because I am fatter and grayer and my body is creakier than it was, but I’m HERE. Which is much better than not being here.

9. Favorite sitcom?

Probably 30 Rock. I also love Parks and Recreation and the early seasons of Arrested Development.

10. What are you most looking forward to in 2018?

I asked my friends for recommendations of books written by people of color this year because I want to up my reading game and I’ve read enough old white dudes to last me till eternity, and they REALLY delivered and now I have tons of great books I’m gonna read this year. Also, Black Panther, Pacific Rim, and A Wrinkle in Time.

11. One thing you’ve always wanted your followers to know about you but thought you’d never get asked.

I would say that I like to be a woman of mystery, but seeing as how I blurt out random things about myself all the time on this blog, maybe I don’t really mean that? But I’m having trouble coming up with something I’ve always wanted my followers to know about me. Maybe you should ask me what might be considered rude questions that you’re curious about and I might confess something. (Don’t worry about offending me; if I genuinely don’t want to answer the question, I won’t actually answer it.)

Now, for my questions:

What is your favorite scent or smell?

If you could go back in time and give your childhood self a piece of advice or encouragement, what would you say?

What fanfiction trope, if any, do you wish actually happened more often in real life?

What book would you recommend to a friend?

If you had to pick a theme song (like what would play when you’re introduced at an awards ceremony or talk show, or just a song that you think of as *you*), what would it be?

Do you have a favorite quotation or line of poetry? If so, please share it!

Do you drink soda/pop/Coke/other name for carbonated soft drink? If so, what drink is your favorite?

You join the Rebel Alliance and are assigned to the same base as Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo (although he is not actually enlisted). What is your job on base?

Same scenario as #8. Do you ever interact with any of these three, and if so, in what way?

Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or none of the above?

Are you more likely to hog the covers or the bed?

Tagging (and feel free to only do this if you want to): @corellian-smuggler, @erma-w, @hanorganaas, @hansoloorgana, @inelegantprose, @jedifish81, @jennycbs, @kershawk, @merrygreenie, @ravens23princess, @wishfulfanficing and anybody else who decides they want to play too!

[lajulie24]

Hey there! It's your writer here again! You've definitely given me loads to go off, and I think we've got some very similar tastes! I've got some ideas I'm mulling over but before I get ahead of myself I wondered if you were keen for something festive, or if you're not so fussed? (Very happy to go in either direction!)

Oh, hooray! I am glad to hear that my plethora of choices was energizing rather than daunting for you.

In terms of festive vs. not, while I’m very happy to get a fic set around some kind of holiday or GFFA festival (Life Day, some Alderaanian holiday, some Corellian tradition, Han and Leia in a winter wonderland, etc) if that’s what you have in mind, I don’t really need it to be holiday centered or themed at all. I’m very happy reading about my favorite couple on an ordinary day (well, as ordinary as life in the Rebellion / New Republic gets), developing their early friendship or coming together or vehemently denying their love for one another or teaming up on a mission or enjoying time as an established couple or whatever piques your interest. Hopefully that doesn’t make it so broad that we’re back to daunting, but I trust that whatever you do, it will be great.

[lajulie24]

leia and han are friends to lovers, they had been on that ship for like 3 months, so who knows what happened. chewbacca maybe, because 3po doesn't.

My working theory is that Threepio spent most of the trip to Bespin a) in the cockpit, monitoring systems while others were sleeping or, ah, otherwise occupied, b) helping Leia learn Shryiiwook with Chewie, or c) turned off so that nobody took him apart just to shut him up.

Agree that Han and Leia moved their relationship to the next level on the way to Bespin, but I also like to read stories where the physical relationship hasn’t progressed (beyond kissing) but the emotional relationship has made big strides. I figure if anything, ah, physical happened, Chewie definitely knew because he has especially sensitive olfactory senses. So they couldn’t really hide it from him.

Thanks for the ask!

It’s Star Wars Day, so ask me things while I watch the movies.

[lajulie24]

Do you do yoga? Does Leia do yoga? Does *Han* do yoga?

Me: I *have* done yoga, although I don’t currently do it regularly. And I’m not very flexible, so as much as one can be good at yoga, I…am really not. I do occasionally think about trying to get back into it, though.

Leia: Yes, I think Leia does yoga. I think while yoga, meditation, etc does not necessarily come naturally to her, it’s something that was fairly commonly done on Alderaan. I headcanon that Leia actually started doing yoga and meditation as a child, because she was a fairly sensitive and intense little girl who was prone to overthinking, and this was a good way to help her learn to channel some of that nervous energy and keep her from getting too caught in her own head. (Also, Bail and Breha knew that she was Force-sensitive and that despite Obi-Wan tamping down some of that sensitivity when she was an infant, that Force-sensitive people often experienced the world in a much more intense fashion, so they thought it might help with that too.) She likes yoga better than meditation because yoga involves something physical. Her body doesn’t sit still well, but if she has to hold a pose, that gives her something to focus on.

Han: I have to say that you gave me a nice little chuckle, picturing Han Solo attempting to fold his body into yoga poses and just getting really frustrated with himself. Han has *tried* to do yoga, for Leia’s sake. He can do some really simple poses, but he usually leaves it to her. I will say that when Leia was trying to learn about the Force, she really struggled with doing a meditation practice (because despite her experience with it, it doesn’t come as naturally to her as it does to Luke) and Han would sit with her and also attempt to meditate as a way of helping to support what she was doing. But no, they won’t be going on any couples yoga retreats anytime soon.

That was fun – thanks for the ask, my friend!

Sunday Night Social asks!

[lajulie24]

otterandterrier: Inquiring minds want to know (only if you want to answer!): how much does Mr lajulie know about your fic writing/fandom life? Does he like SW? Has he read at least a bit of a fic of yours?

He knows a bare minimum, which is sort of weird, but like I said I’m strangely private and possessive of my fic writing life. He does like Star Wars, quite a lot -- he’s made lightsabers, has a Lego Millennium Falcon, often quotes the movies, even *bought* TLJ and saw Solo in the theater (he was kind of floored when I told him I wasn’t interested in seeing it in the theater; now he finds that kind of amusing). So he doesn’t do the fanfic/Tumblr version of fandom but he’s definitely a SW fan.

He knows that I write some Star Wars stories, but I haven’t shown him my work, so I don’t know how much he knows about it. (He did happen to see what I was writing one time when I was writing smut and made a gentle joke about my writing “Star Wars porn”, but other than that he hasn’t commented on it.) He knows I hang out on Tumblr and talk to people about fandom stuff but tends to let me be on that kind of thing.

[lajulie24]

I adore everything you write and will probably gulp it down immediately...but if I got to have my choice? Hmm...I'd love to read the continuation of Inertia from Saturday...? Maybe?

Lovely @organanation, thank you! And I will probably write more, but here’s a little snippet of a continuation of “Inertia” for you:

Luke had been away too long this time, he was fairly sure. Leia had encouraged him to go, but he hadn’t missed the sadness behind her smile when he’d left. He’d intended to go just long enough to get the crystal for his new lightsaber, but something had been drawing him in, making him linger there. It was a legitimate excuse, he thought. He hoped.

He was a bit surprised not to find her in her quarters, and headed toward the command center. Was she replaying Hoth, spending her nights holed up with datapads and plans and figures to avoid considering what she’d lost? And how would they pull her out of it this time, without Han?

But Leia wasn’t in the command center, either.

“Looking for the Princess?” asked Major Farr, who evidently had seen Luke looking lost.

He grinned. “Yeah.”

Farr smiled. “She left a little bit ago. She’s probably with the Rogues if she’s not at her quarters.”

Well, that was good news. Wedge had been looking out for Leia–had seemed to be looking out for both of them, really, since Luke and Leia had gotten back from Bespin–and it sounded like he and the other Rogues had succeeded in distracting her.

Sure enough, as he approached the Rogues’ sabacc game, he could hear Leia’s voice among the others. But–what were they talking about?

[To be continued, obviously…]

I wish you would write a fic where…

[lajulie24]

So we know Han as won sexiest man in the galaxy but has Leia ever won sexiest woman in the galaxy? Has Han won more or less than her? Is it an inside joke? I need details!

Ha! Okay, well, strap in, because this answer might not be quite what you were expecting, and your question caused a plot bunny explosion in my brain, so….apologies for this long convoluted mess in advance.

Here’s the thing. Have the holos wanted to name Leia Organa sexiest woman in the galaxy? Oh, hell yes. So many times. And when it comes to Holonet polls, that sort of thing, she comes up a lot (like, really a lot, especially considering that she’s a politician and not a holo actress or a singer or something).

Han accepting Sexiest Man in the Galaxy is one thing–it feels hilarious, but relatively harmless. Leia accepting Sexiest Woman/Femme Being in the Galaxy feels…fraught. Because in a lot of systems, there’s still a lot of species-ism, ageism, and heteropatriarchy to be fought, and Leia herself has experienced some of its worst effects (hello, Jabba’s palace), as well as the day-to-day slog of being taken seriously as a female being and leader.

So Leia’s closest associates are a little surprised when she actually says “yes” to the “honor” from one of the big holomagazines. (Beings, it’s called.)

Han is not surprised, because he knows his wife is, in addition to being his pick for sexiest woman in the galaxy, a kriffing genius (and has recruited a staff of kriffing geniuses as well).

You see, the Sexiest Woman in the Galaxy honor comes with a required interview that is run across the holonet. And as a condition of accepting the honor, Leia’s PR and legal team make a few stipulations that seem like no big deal but will become important later.

The interview begins, and it immediately goes off the rails as far as the interviewer is concerned. Leia is extraordinarily gracious, diplomatic, and polite, but she answers all the softball questions about her makeup routine and her fashion sense with things like “Youth and beauty are not accomplishments” and basically says point blank that designations like Sexiest Woman in the Galaxy are bullshit distinctions that hurt women and other femme beings. At one point, they ask about “what other men besides General Solo do you find most attractive” and she answers by asking why they assume she’s heterosexual.

Somehow, Leia manages to completely hijack an interview that’s supposed to be about favorite lipsticks and how she keeps her skin so beautiful and uses it to talk about ending sex slavery, fighting for refugee rights, the problem of oversexualization of certain galactic species, water rights in the Outer Rim, the feminization of caregiving roles, “why do you assume that all women wish to procreate”, the role of women and other femme beings in the Rebellion, and pretty much anything BUT being sexy (except for the aforementioned assertion that honoring women for being “sexy” is bullshit and hurts women and girls across the galaxy who are more than their tits and their lustrous hair, thank you very much). The poor interviewer is left with a sort of deer-in-headlights look by the end of the interview, and the editor of Beings holomagazine is livid.

But, thanks to those seemingly innocuous stipulations by Leia’s team, they have to run the interview. In its entirety. It becomes something of a Holonet sensation, and let’s just say there’s a nice little party in the Organa-Solo household the night it airs. And it leads to some nice increases in donations for the refugee and slavery abolition efforts Leia mentions, as well as a fair amount of discussion about a variety of issues raised in the interview.

No holomagazine ever invites Leia Organa to be their Sexiest Woman in the Galaxy again after that.

However, she is actually rather sought after for other interviews, especially from some magazines geared toward girls. And there is another honor she is glad to accept–with some stipulations, of course. A smaller, independent holomagazine geared toward younger women/femme beings (kind of similar to BUST in our galaxy) wants to name a Badass Woman of the Galaxy. Leia agrees to be named, but only if she can share the spotlight with a number of other badasses, like Jedi Master Ahsoka Tano (aka Fulcrum), General Hera Syndulla, heroines of the Battle of Naboo Shara Bey and Sosha Soruna, leader of New Alderaan and refugee advocate Evaan Verlaine, and several others. They agree, and Leia gives an exclusive interview in which she (surprise!) dishes about some of her favorite beauty tips, gives her thoughts on fashion, and talks about several other “girly” things, in addition to talking about some of these other topics. Because to Leia, it’s about being able to choose your path, and about everyone being able to choose their path. And all those paths, as long as they’re not oppressive to you or others, are valid ones.

(By the way, Leia teases Han about his Sexiest Man in the Galaxy designation all the time. And she finds it delightful that Lando was named that first, and that he teases Han about being the second sexiest man in the galaxy.)

[lajulie24]

what are some things that leia does that the really public loves? :)

Good question. For Leia, it’s interesting, because in some ways what “the public” loves about her is different depending on which part of the public you’re talking about:

Diplomacy/policy nerd types love her because she’s so well-versed in so many things, but manages to talk about them in a really accessible way.

Every so often she has a Julia Sugarbaker moment where she tells someone off in a deeply satisfying way. At the same time, she has such a talent for language and diplomacy that, as one person put it, “Leia Organa is the only person who could tell a head of state to fuck off in a way that makes them deeply enjoy the experience.”

People are fascinated with her relationship with Han, although they generally tend to take their preferred surface understanding of the relationship and mythologize it. It’s a fairytale romance! Star-crossed lovers! But they love how obviously in love the two of them are.

People also kind of love this idea of “the princess who is happy being ordinary.” Like, the holos would kill for stories of the boring things Leia does in her spare time, or that she likes to eat SpaceCheetos, or that Crathelian food is her favorite with the exception of Alderaanian food. 

Alderaanians (well, most of them–they’re not a monolith, after all) would probably love her no matter what she did, but they love that she has been vocal about preserving and sharing Alderaanian culture and that she continues to be an advocate for the Alderaani people. She never forgot where she came from and will never abandon them, and she will always be their princess.

Non-humans love that she basically considers Chewbacca to be part of her family (because he is), and that she advocates for the rights of non-human beings regularly, while at the same time being careful to let beings speak for themselves.

Little girls (and other femme beings) love that she is literal proof that “size matters not” to quote her brother’s mentor, and that she is just this powerhouse person who is equally comfortable in fatigues and an evening gown. And that she might have a blaster concealed under her evening gown. (She has two. And a lightsaber. You never know when that could come in handy.)

Survivors of abuse or torture or genocide admire her courage in sharing, in a limited way, how she still struggles with what she’s been through. She reserves the right to take care of herself by not sharing anywhere close to everything, but people know enough to know that she seeks help when she needs it and encourages others to do the same.

Thank you for the ask!