The activity level on the blog has slowed dramatically. I'm going to discuss a topic I've been thinking about a lot lately, although I'm sure I've mentioned a lot about it in recent months anyway.
I've realized that my excitement and enthusiasm for most things Star Wars related has dropped essentially to zero. I no longer feel like the movie "ruined" Han and Leia FOR ME, anyway. Because for me, that's just not what happened. Did they ruin them as far as the canon movies goes? Uh... it sure looks like it. Not just them, but Luke, too. I don't think I'll ever stop thinking of them the way I had always thought of them.
It's hard not to think about how nine months ago today, I was beyond excited to see this new movie. I couldn't believe how lucky we were to get another one. And then I left the theater feeling basically.... gutted. They basically did all the worst possible things I could've imagined. I mean, sure, maybe it would've been worse if Han and Leia split up the day after ROTJ and never saw each other again (would it have been worse though? I'm not sure) or possibly if Leia was the one to murder Han herself because he had become horribly abusive and deserved it. Ok, yeah, that would've been worse. But they had given us CLOSE to the worst possible outcome. Split up, miserable, only having had one kid who turned out to be pure evil, quite possibly due to Han's crappy parenting, no other kids to carry on their legacy, and their own kid straight up murders Han Solo, the most beloved movie character in the history of cinema (maybe second next to Chewbacca) without ever having any sort of reconciliation with Leia. Or his son. To top it off, this moment that I guess maybe could've had some real emotional impact just seemed sort of hollow because we were not really given any context to this relationship at all. Was Han really a disappointment? How long has it even been since those two saw each other, or since Han was with Leia? I realize that the answers to some of those questions were at least narrowed down somewhat now that we have some books, but at the time the movie came out we had no idea if it had been two months or twenty years since Ben Solo turned and Han and Leia fell apart. It was only months later that we at least had it somewhat narrowed down to something less than six, but that doesn't help a whole lot.
Did anyone feel like all of that made for a better movie? Or a more emotionally engaging one? Because for me, it not only felt like punching me in the face, but it also mostly just left me confused with all those aforementioned unanswered questions. I realize that apparently the intent was to make room for the new characters. The thing is, they forgot to give us good reasons to care about the new characters. Don't get me wrong, I do love Rey, although I think that has as much if not more to do with Daisy Ridley just being perfect in that role than Rey being a hugely compelling character yet. The ridiculous amount of unanswered questions about her along with it being more than slightly remarkable how well adjusted she is given her background are at least somewhat outshined by Daisy's on-screen presence and charisma. How much would you have loved to have gotten to see more of her going back and forth with Harrison Ford? I don't think a lot of young actresses could've pulled that off, but sorry, nope, we won't get that because Han is dead now. Anyway, I got away from my point, which was that they wanted us to focus more on these new characters, but in talking to more than one person after seeing this movie, a lot of us found it impossible to really absorb anything that happened in the final fifteen to twenty minutes of the movie because all we kept thinking about was, "I can't believe Han Solo is dead." Which isn't a great thing since arguably the most important part of the movie, Rey's duel with Kylo, happened in that final fifteen minutes.
The more time that passes from this movie, the more and more deflated I am realizing I have become as a result of it. I bought the blu ray in April, mostly for the behind the scenes stuff. Except I haven't actually watched it yet. Not just the movie, but any of it. I became even more deflated when I heard about some of the comments made on the behind the scenes stuff about Han and Leia, and didn't really want to have anything to do with it anymore. And now that I see that apparently it is going to be playing on Starz for those of us in the US, I was reminded of how much I just don't want to see it anymore. I don't even want to flip to the channel. For someone like myself who was just such a huge Star Wars fan, it really just makes me sad that I have lost the ability to be excited about it.
Last year I was actively avoiding spoilers so as not to ruin the movie for me. Now, it's not even active avoidance about Rogue One or Episode 8 or anything else, it is downright indifference. I've seen some articles linked saying things about Episode 8 or whatever. My level of indifference is almost appalling. I can't even bring myself to care. I've heard a few things about what may happen in the next one, and really they could tell me absolutely anything at this point and I wouldn't even have a reaction. It's like they have taken away my ability to care. They could tell me that Justin Bieber was going to be in the next one playing a Jedi and Rey's love interest who also sings to her something from his new album, and I'd probably just be like... eh, whatever. Ok, ok, maybe that might finally spark some rage, but hopefully you get my point. They made all my worst fears come true with the last movie, so I only expect them moving forward to do things that would upset me or make me mad. It's like a protective mechanism has kicked in, and they can't upset me with anything they do if I've stopped caring about it.
Even the trailers for Rogue One have been amazingly underwhelming to me. I'm not sure if I'd have felt different about it a year ago, but right now I'm just like... meh. I mean, as I was typing that I stopped and wondered, wait, is that coming out THIS year? I had to go check. Yes, it does. I'm sure I'll go see it, but I feel no need to be first in line or wait two hours before the theater opens to get good seats or anything like that. The first time I saw that trailer on the big screen in May I had really almost no reaction to it. That compared to every single time I saw the trailer for TFA there were at minimum goosebumps, but also occasionally tears. (I actually just had a flashback as I wrote that to "Chewie, we're home." and STILL got goosebumps so I guess I'm not completely dead inside.)
I don't know what the point of all this was except that it feels as though this movie ruined by ability to be excited about anything further Star Wars related. I know you guys have said that there has been some great new material in the books, and I absolutely believe you. It's just that I don't know how I can enjoy any of it knowing how it all turns out. The same could possibly be said about the old EU, but among the bad stuff at least there was a lot of good stuff. At least Han and Leia were still together and had one good kid, plus a granddaughter. I'm actually glad that there are other people out there who are still excited about it and want to see what happens next and have enjoyed a lot of the new stuff. I wish I could be among you. This is not an attempt to try and convince anyone that they should be sad or not excited about any of it. Just had a lot of this on my mind lately and wanted to get it out there, especially since the blog has been so dead/quiet and it makes me wonder if others are feeling the same way, or if so many have disappeared just because they felt the same way!
At least I'll never stop loving Han and Leia, because JJ doesn't get to be the one to tell us what happened to them just because they paid him to do it.
A place to talk about Han and Leia and about reading about them and writing about them.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
August Writing Challenge Submission #5 by Zyra
I haven't written anything in a very long time, so to say I feel a little rusty would be an understatement. The tone also is a little different than the other submissions so far. And maybe they aren't drunk enough for it to be "real" drunk sex. But ok, enough warnings, now for the story...
"What did you say this stuff is again?" Leia asked
as she took another sip of the deep purple liquid in her glass.
"Some kind of local liquor the locals swear by,"
Han replied.
They were lounging on a large couch in the suite of a resort
they decided to visit for their tenth anniversary. They'd left their three kids
behind with their aunt and uncle, and it was their first opportunity to be
alone in quite a while.
"It's really sweet," Leia said as she licked her
lips. Han had to agree. It was certainly sweeter than most liquor he was used
to consuming. You almost couldn't even tell it had any alcohol.
Leia was leaning up against him, more relaxed than Han had
seen her in months. She surprised him by sitting up and starting to cross the
room. "Where are you going?" he asked her.
"Just the 'fresher, don't you worry," she said as
she smiled back at him and then leaned over to place her glass on the table,
stumbling slightly as she lost her balance.
Han sat up a little and held his arm out to catch her, but
she caught herself first. "Whoa, you okay there, sweetheart or are you
going to need an escort?"
"I'm fine," she said, swatting his hand away
playfully.
"I'm not sure, you seem a little tipsy there."
She turned and stood up straight, putting her hands on her
hips. "I am not tipsy. I've hardly had anything to-" she was briefly
interrupted by a hiccup and then finished her sentence, "drink."
Han smirked knowingly at her and then decided to let it go
for now. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."
She rolled her eyes and disappeared into the next room, and
Han grabbed his drink and took another sip. The liquid was far more sweet than
he would usually choose, but he had been talked into trying it by one of the
locals and it was far from the worst thing he'd ever tasted. Downing the last
of his glass he then picked up the bottle to add a little more.
After filling his glass and taking another sip, he glanced
at the back of the bottle, noticing the alcohol content. Given the excessive
sweetness of the liquor he had assumed that it would be fairly low, so he was
more than slightly surprised when he noted that in fact it was quite the
opposite. He smiled a little, and thought to himself that it was a good thing
they hadn't planned on going anywhere else that evening.
"What's so funny?" Leia asked as she returned from
the 'fresher and plopped down on the couch next to him.
"Just noticing that this stuff is a little stronger
than you'd think based on the taste. Take a look," he said as he handed
her the bottle.
She took it and studied the label before her eyebrows raised
and she turned to look at him. "That is a lot more potent than I was
expecting."
"Told ya," he said as he took the bottle back and
put it down on the table. "I think maybe both of us should call it a night
on this stuff."
"I'm surprised it hasn't kicked in yet. I don't think
I've had this much alcohol in my system since before we had the kids."
"Nah," Han disagreed. "It was more recent
than that. In fact I think it's probably why we even had Anakin in the first
place."
She couldn't keep herself from smiling. "No, no,
definitely not. You just couldn't keep your hands to yourself, and you looked
incredibly handsome that night."
"And how do I look tonight?" he asked, pulling her
closer.
She took a moment to consider her answer, brown eyes
scanning him quickly before she answered. "A little blurry."
"Hmmm... maybe that's a good thing so I don't look any
older than when you first met me."
"Why would that be a good thing?" she asked before
she brought her hands up against his cheeks. "This is still my favorite
face."
"Now I'm sure you've had too much to drink because you
are hardly ever this nice to me."
Her eyes scanned his face before she replied again. "I
think I'm in the mood to be even nicer to you as the night goes along."
He arched an eyebrow and before he could even wonder what
she meant she leaned in to kiss him, and he could taste the sweet liquid on her
tongue. Her lips moved across his jawline and started nibbling on his ear,
sending a shiver down his neck. "I forgot that when you drink you tend to
get a little... worked up," he said before he turned his own attention on
her earlobe.
"Right, and you don't?"
"I don't need a drink to be worked up,
sweetheart."
She moved her lips back across his jaw and pressed her
forehead against his, her hand gently caressing the back of his neck.
"That's one of the many things I love about you." Then she pulled him
closer and kissed him hungrily.
Han could feel his head spinning, but he wasn't entirely
sure if it was the alcohol or the sudden lack of oxygen to his brain brought on
by his wife's mouth against his and the movements of her lower body against his
groin. He decided it didn't matter.
Several minutes later, Leia pulled her face away and said,
"I think we should move to the bedroom."
It took Han a moment for his vision to come into focus when
he opened his eyes to see Leia, face slightly flushed, giving him that look
that always told him quite clearly that it was going to be a very, very good
night. Rather than responding, he simply lifted her off his lap and then
grabbed her hand and started to pull her toward the bedroom.
"Ow!" she said at the same time he heard a slight
thud and felt her catching herself on his arm.
"You okay?" he asked as he turned to see she had
apparently tripped on the corner of the couch.
She collapsed against his shoulder and began giggling. Leia
was not often one to giggle, but alcohol tended to make her a little... sillier
than normal.
"Sorry," she whispered when she looked up at him.
"Why are you whispering?" he whispered back.
"Shhhh..." she said, bringing a finger to her
lips. "We don't want to wake the kids."
"The kids aren't here," he whispered.
"Oh," she said, seeming genuinely surprised.
"Good, those little monsters are always interrupting us."
"Not tonight, sweetheart, I promise. Tonight we have
time to be very, very thorough."
Her face lit up and he pulled her along again and she
followed eagerly. "I love it when you're thorough."
Once in the room Han let Leia's hand go so he could pull his
shirt over his head while she lied down on the bed and stared dreamily up at
him.
"What are you staring at?"
"I do love watching you get undressed but really I'm
trying to stop the room from spinning."
"Oh, no," Han said as he cast his boots aside and
then climbed to hover over her on his hands and knees on the bed. "You
need to hang in there, because I have some fun ideas for tonight." He got
really quiet and just stared at her for a moment before rolling onto his side
to face her, his head on the pillow next to hers.
"Your head is spinning too, isn't it."
His lip curled up into a smile. "Only enough to make
things interesting."
He leaned in and started kissing her again, slow and deep. They
continued like that for a while, and slowly the rest of their clothes came off
as well, hands lazily moving across now-bare skin. Han finally pulled away to
look at Leia's face, her eyes a little glassy and staring at him intently.
"Do I still look a little blurry?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, you just look like your usual,
handsome self. Do I look blurry?"
"No," he said, his voice low and rumbling.
"Beautiful."
Her smile was enough to kill him sometimes. "That's
just the booze talking. You're not the only one who's gotten older."
His thumbs stroked her cheeks and he got a very serious look
on his face before he replied. "You're still the most beautiful thing I've
ever seen. I love you."
"You get really mushy when you've been drinking."
He nodded in agreement. "I definitely do." Then he
leaned in and kissed her again, slowly rolling her onto her back and settling
himself on top of her. His fingers traced along her skin and caused her to
shiver. "You feel a little chilly," he said as he kissed his way down
her neck."
"Mmmm," she agreed. "I'm almost always a
little chilly."
"Here," he said as he leaned back and pulled the
sheet to cover both of them. "Just for a few minutes though, because I'm
sure you won't need it for long." He winked at her and she smiled back
before he kissed his way down her body, disappearing under the sheet.
Leia gently parted her legs to make room for him as she felt
him getting lower and lower, his head making a lump in the sheet that was
almost enough to distract her from the pleasant sensations Han was causing
underneath. She lay back with her arms above her head, letting out a sigh and shutting
her eyes, the dizziness from the alcohol still affecting her. She lost track of
time before she realized Han had stopped doing what he had been doing and
instead she felt his head resting on her thigh, laying motionless.
She brought her hands down and placed them on his
sheet-covered head. "You all right under there?"
Immediately his head popped up, which only made her laugh
before she lifted the sheet to look down at him questioningly. "I'm fine,
just...." He trailed off a little before he emerged from under the sheet
and collapsed on his side next to her again, his head resting heavily on the
pillow.
"Still dizzy?" she asked, already knowing the
answer. Though at this angle she was relieved that she could also rest her head
on her own pillow, turning on her side to face him.
"Just a little," he replied, looking apologetic.
"Me, too," she said, reaching her hand up to
stroke his cheek. "You're kind of cute when you're trying not to throw
up," she said, smiling at him.
"I'm not gonna throw up," he protested. "I
think we just need to figure out a way to do this where I don't have to lift up
my head. I don't think I'm going to be as thorough tonight as I thought."
Always being a problem solver, Leia pushed him on his back
and rolled on top of him. "Well, let me see what I can do."
His eyes lit up as it appeared he had some idea what he was
in for. Her legs straddled him and she leaned down to capture his lips with
hers once again, and suddenly he was dizzy for an entirely different reason.
His hands moved up her back and she moved slowly on top of him in a familiar
rhythm that had never failed to get him going. Before he knew what was
happening her hand found him and he slipped inside, letting out an involuntary
groan before she continued her slow, sensual movements on top of him. "I
love it when you're in the mood to be extra nice to me."
She smiled and leaned down to kiss him and hold him close.
His hands warm hands slid along the soft skin on her back to aid her as she
slowly moved her hips against him for what felt like an eternity. Finally
releasing his lips her mouth moved along his jaw until he could feel her breath
on his ear as she whispered, "I have a confession to make." At this
point his brain wasn't functioning particularly well, but there was something
about her voice that always brought him back to reality. "I'm in love with
you."
His arms wrapped even more tightly around her as he pulled
her somehow even closer. "Now who's the mushy one?" he asked. He was
having trouble catching his breath now as she continued to move against him.
"You know what? I'm in love with you, too."
He could somehow feel her smile against his neck. "I'm
so glad to hear it. Especially because maybe you won't be mad at me when I tell
you I need to lie down again."
"Wait," he protested, not quite sure he was
hearing her right but before he could stop her she rolled off to his side and
rested her head against the pillow again. This wasn't exactly how he had
envisioned this particular evening going. When their eyes met, all they could
do was smile and erupt into laughter. "I'm sorry," Leia said as she
tried and failed to compose herself.
"It's ok," he replied, still laughing himself.
"Let's see if we can do this without lifting our heads up too much. Come
here," he said as he pulled her close against him, his hand resting against
her lower back and holding her tightly.
"Oh," she said, the laughter being replaced by
excitement. "This just might work."
He nodded at her and replied, "I think we can make it
work," and then he resumed where they had left off, slowly moving against
her and then leaning in to kiss her again. "See?"
She nodded in agreement and wrapped her arms around him,
moving slowly and dreamily. Her head was still spinning but she shut her eyes
and tried to just enjoy the pleasant sensations, the touch and warmth of Han's
body against hers, the sound of his voice as he occasionally rumbled words of
encouragement into her ear.
A while later, when they were both spent, they were lying
still and simply holding each other.
His lips moved down her neck and she sighed against him.
"You sure that after ten years of this you're not tired of me?"
"Do I seem tired of you?" Han asked, pulling her
even closer.
"I don't know, you can't even lift your head up right
now."
He had been nuzzling her neck and she felt his breath there
as he laughed. "Minor setback. If I could spend a hundred years with you,
I'd still want more."
"You're just saying that because you're still a little
drunk. And also probably because we just had sex."
"Have I ever said anything I didn't really mean?"
"No," she conceded, although she could tell he
knew she was only teasing him. "And maybe this is just the alcohol in me
talking but I love you so much, and every day I'm still glad that you found me
on that Death Star. Even though I know you wanted to just leave me there."
Han's face paled. "You knew that?"
She nodded. "Luke told me. 'Better her than me,' I
think he said."
"Sweetheart, you know I didn't..."
She pressed her finger to his lips. "Shhhh. I know. I
think you've risked your life for me enough times since that I know that you
never meant that. Just you being your usual, defiant self."
"I need to thank your brother again for making me go
get you."
"I have one more thing to say to you," she said,
reaching up and stroking his cheek.
"And what's that?"
"That alcohol is making my head spin so much, if I
don't go to sleep soon I am probably going to be sick."
"Come over here," he said as he rolled onto his
back and pulled her in so she could lie her head on his chest. "No
drinking tomorrow night. It's our last night alone and we're going to make it
count."
"I think I can agree with you on that one. Happy
anniversary," she said, now barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Same to you," he replied before they both fell
into a peaceful sleep.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
August Writing Challenge Submission #4 by CorellianAngel
Shut up with an Idiot, Whiskey and Comfort
Princess Leia Organa
woke up fully clothed and sweaty in the bunkroom of the starship Millennium
Falcon, clad in her white snowsuit and under tunic from Hoth. The young woman’s arm wrapped around one of
the pillows, clasping it tightly to her skull. Her chestnut hair was partially
unbraided, the ends loose and flowing down her back. Her head felt as if it was enveloped by a
thick blanket muffling her thoughts, touch and hearing. Her fuzzy vision focused on the door at the
far wall to the aft hallway. Her
eyeballs felt as though the surface had been sucked dry. She attempted to lift her head. As Leia blinked the world seemed to snapshot
from one second to the next, as though a strobe’s pulse lit her world.
She doggedly blinked
away the fog in front of her eyes, but found the haze in her head had taken up
permanent residence. The room rotated
around her on a tilted axis and her head swam as she sluggishly determined where
she was. It was vaguely familiar and
felt safe. Her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose between her eyes. She
yawned widely and animatedly, stretching her arms out around her, her joints
cracking. The princess fumbled upright and after another series of gaping yawns
her fingers cleared out the crusties of sleep at the edges of her eyes. She stared at the white flecks and black
crust of mascara on her fingertips and wondered how long she had been in bed,
or for that matter how she had arrived there in the first place.
Leia closed her eyes
for a moment and felt the room spin around her.
Her hand moved to grip the edge of the bunk and she pushed herself up,
swaying unsteadily. Her right arm shot
out to brace herself on the adjacent wall of the crew cabin. Her foot dragged through something
sticky. She looked down and saw the half
dried remains of an amber liquid spilled across the quarters decking that was
now covering the bottom of her thermal sock.
She lifted her foot with a “Yick” and pawed at the sticky spot
underneath, nearly losing her balance when she raised her foot. Somewhere
behind her a glass clinked as it rolled across the bunk.
Leia floundered her
way in to the crew cabin’s refresher, covering the vast two metres in series of
leans and stumbles. When she had dealt
with her immediate physical needs and subsequent ablutions, she stumbled out
and palmed the door access to the ship’s ring corridor. She was unsure what had
occurred in the last few hours that had inhibited her memory, but she had no
doubt that vagabond Han Solo had some significant part in in it.
No matter what, if it
was his fault she would figure out the truth.
She always did… Always.
Leia grasped the edge of the Corellian freighter’s steel bulkhead using it
to propel herself forward down the hall. She rounded past the cargo bay on the
starboard side, avoiding the main hold common area. Her feet seemed to float underneath her until
she tripped on the raised edge of floor decking. Leia caught herself and stared accusingly at
her offending foot as the other automatically dragged forward. Her world tilted as she collided with a
coarse mass of smelly fur. She flailed
momentarily, trying to disentangle herself from whatever she had run into. A tough leathery hand steadied her with a
firm grip on her shoulder.
“Easy there, little
Princess.” The being growled at her in its own tongue.
She blinked at the two and half metre furry mass of the Falcon’s co-pilot,
briefly wondering how he had appeared so suddenly.
“Ah sorry, just on my
way to the cockpit Chewie.” She attempted to wind her way around him to
continue on her way.
There was a barking
chuckle from Chewie, “Han says he’s on watch, not that he needs to since we
fixed the long range sensors. I’ll be in
my hammock for the next shift. I’ll leave you two to... sort out your
differences.”
Leia smiled gamely at
the wookiee and nodded as if understanding.
She caught the gist, especially the ironic tone at the end, and that was
enough to make the color come up to her cheeks. She moved aside to let him pass and hauled
herself forward again. An irrational
surge of anger went through her, she had the vaguest memories of Han hauling
her to the bunkroom, the back of his shirt splattered with her drink. Her body slung over his shoulder, and her
right fist lamely pummeling on firm musculature of the tall Corellian’s back,
demanding that she be put down. And
somehow she had managed to keep the half glass of alcohol mostly upright in her
left hand, ice and all.
What had that
been about?
She honestly couldn’t
remember. Leia’s hand bunched and her fist connected with the starship’s walls’
crash padding. Three years of dealing
with this insufferable half-assed criminal.
Gods!
She huffed. That’s
right, Han was here somewhere and she would make him pay for her indignation.
She followed the black thread of irritation that wound its way through her
inebriated mind. Of course she was angry
with that ill-mannered, irritating, mercenary, scruffy, idiotic, foul mouthed
scoundrel. At that last thought she
recalled the sensuous curve of the scoundrel’s mouth as he leaned over her,
weeks earlier, baiting her in the port circuitry bay. Leia remembered the way
his head had tilted to the left, his eyebrows high in amusement, silently
laughing at her choice of words for him.
“Scoundrel? Scoundrel!”
He drew out the first vowels into a long note of affection, a wide
heart-stopping smile spreading across that damned annoying smug face. His voice
dropped to a rumble, “I like the sound of that.”
At that, she had
wanted to slug him, or something overtly physical at least. The handsome
smuggler had then kissed the lovely young Princess; gently, hesitantly, as if
seeking permission. The Princess had
kissed the captain back, daring him on.
As if he could take her. Hah! She
tried desperately to tell herself she hated him. Hated him for being a mercenary, hated him
for trying to force her to confront her feelings, hated him for being so damned
gorgeous, smart, witty, a tease… “Aaargh!” She grouched audibly in
frustration. And damn him if that wasn’t
working.
Leia punched each
adjacent wall pad as she moved along the corridor, imagining each punch
connecting with some portion of Han Solo’s body. Much like Solo’s real physical self, her
imaginary punching-bag Solo winced, straightened and egged her on with that
idiotic smug grin. It was turning out to
be not much of a release.
Just as magically as
Chewie had appeared earlier, the cockpit door materialized in front of the
petite fuming drunken noble. The princess pushed her small body away from the
wall and balanced on the balls of her feet, mentally preparing herself,
straightening her back and holding her head regally. Inwardly she seethed, she plucked at her
clothes, arranging her tunic top which seemed to be clinging to the skin of her
chest. A hazy recollection of Han
dressing her prone form flitted through her mind, her figure limp except for
her hand clutching the drink. Coming back to the present, she punched the
cockpit’s door control, mentally cursing the ship’s captain that was just
beyond. Damnable scruffy-looking…
The door slid open and
Leia marched in, smacking the lock closed behind her. As she stepped forward to address the
lounging body in the captain’s chair, her foot clattered against a pair of
bottles situated upright on the floor.
She lost her indignant focus and noted the two amber liquids. One was the dark gold of the ubiquitous
Corellian whiskey Whyren’s Reserve, the other bottle was more recently
familiar. A viscous sunset colored
liquor sloshed within, unlike the nearly empty Whyren’s , this bottle was two
thirds full. Leia recalled the sticky
spot on her sock, the splash of dried liquid near her bunk, her left hand
subconsciously fingering the collar of her tunic, drawing it away from her
chest once more. She read the label’s
basic lettering, and the events leading up to her waking up in the crew
quarters rushed over her in a confused jumble of memories. Her cheeks felt hot as her eyes slid up the
floor decking to take in the lean form of the man Leia had barged in on. Their
eyes met in the reflection of the cockpit’s semicircular forward viewport that
looked out into the glittering star filled expanse of deep space beyond.
Han Solo’s lanky body
was draped over the seat and armrests of his chair, his bare feet resting on
the console in front of him. . He was dressed in his bloodstriped dark
military trousers and a deep blue jacket. A well-worn low slung leather gunbelt
hung off his narrow hips. He slouched nearly horizontal, an empty drink tumbler
in his hand. His forehead rested on his
other hand and his deep set eyes were slits, leading Leia to momentarily
believe he might be sleeping. She smacked
at his legs and he jumped a bit, drawing back his long limbs and straightening
up by shifting his weight to his elbows on the armrests. It was languid and sensuous, like a feline
stretching. The smuggler gave the Princess a brief glower of moody irritation.
Leia opted for Han’s
style of intimidation. She planted her
hands on either side of his headrest and scowled down at him, for once using
height to her advantage, calculating what the next move was. He owed her… Bigtime.
“Nexu got your tongue
Princess?” He provoked. A hot flush shot
down her spine.
“You dumped me in that bunk!” She
pointed her index finger at Han in perfect imitation of him. His eyes crossed slightly as he stared at her
accusing digit. “Carried me there like a sack, like a,” she sputtered and
stammered, “like- like the neanderthal you are!”
He gently pushed her
hand away with the side of his wrist and gave her a withering look, “You were
too drunk, your Highnessness! I don’t do
comatose bodies. “ Solo snapped at her,
expression turning from partially amused to exasperated.
Leia considered that. Maybe she had had passed out. She had most certainly maintained hold of her
glass, unconscious or not. She
remembered then, “You poured brandy on me!” She yelled at him indignantly. Leia felt herself beginning to lose this
battle. No, that didn’t seem quite accurate either.
“It wasn’t brandy, it
was Selonian Comfort,” he shot back. Han
leaned in close to her, his voice dropped to a subterranean depth, his breath
hot, and heady with alcohol. “And you practically asked me to do that.
In fact, you initiated it! “
She startled, unsure.
“W- What?” Had she? Oh Gods, that part was coming back to
her now too.
Han reached down to
put his whiskey glass on the floor beside his chair, his hand cupped her cheek,
and he kept his voice low. There was a
hint of tease in his deep whisper. “Oh yeah, it was a dare.”
“No, no. “ Leia’s hand
fluttered to her brow nervously, “Not a dare.” She corrected, remembering, her
eyes narrowed, “It was a bet! And you lost.
It took seconds for you to give it up. You’re mine, flyboy.” She
crowed triumphantly.
“It was hardly fair!”
He whinged, a half-hearted argument at best.
“I won.” Leia reminded. “Drink,” she
commanded, grabbing the Selonian Comfort, shoving it in his hands. Han uncharacteristically obeyed, lifting the bottle
to his lips, wincing. He tossed back a healthy swig, gulping, eyes closed. He made a small sound that might have been a
curious “Mmm”, the corner of his mouth lifted, clearly enjoying the tempered
sweet burn of the blended whiskey variety.
Leia smacked him
gently in the chest and raised the glass he had emptied earlier for a
fill. Han poured her half a glass, and
they saluted each other with a clink.
Han took a few gulps, his larynx bobbing, all while watching Leia out of
the side of his peripheral vision as she daintily sipped at her tumbler. Damn
him, that was good.
It was all coming back to her now.
Just a few hours ago they had
been at the main hold’s dejarik table chatting, laughing and drinking after a
savory dinner the boys had cooked. One
of few non-ration meals on the long haul to shelter and repairs at Bespin.
After cleanup, Chewie had retired to work on some woodcraft projects, she and
Han had settled in for a sedate evening of holo viewing. Han had retrieved the
liquor from the ship’s cargo stores when she had tired of choking down the fire
of the Whyren’s. Han proclaimed it perfect for a princess as it was the label
preferred by the Selonian den-mother queens.
Han bowed, grandly
flourished the bottle before Leia, “Selonian Comfort. Honeyfruit sweetened, spiced Corellian
whiskey. Stupidly expensive too. Apparently a favorite amongst the ladies of
the court. “ He grunted, untwisting the metallic green cap. “ Packs a punch
too. “ He poured the rest of her
abandoned traditional whiskey into his own glass and tipped the bottle of
Comfort in her direction. “Ice or no ice, your Highnessness?”
Later,
when Princess Leia had downed three fingers worth, she noticed Han still
preferred the Whyren’s. “Drink wish shmee” she ordered imperiously, waving her
hand at the Corellian as she would a palace servant. Damn, too much whiskey,
too much Selonian Comfort. The room whirled around her.
Han noisily sucked
back his traditional whiskey and pursed his lips at Leia, “No,” his eyes rolled
up as he visibly wracked his brain as how to put it in diplomatic terms for a
princess. He shrugged, gave up and very
undiplomatically informed her it was a woman’s drink and he wouldn’t touch the
stuff.
Feeling brave, she
giggled at him, “ ’fraid your bitty boy bits’d shrivel all up Captain?” Han gave her a squinting look of distaste and
she perched her fingers over her glass slurring, “I betchshya an
undred-thausand credisht I can get you to want it sho much you’d lap up every
drop I offer you.”
Han burst out laughing.
He tossed his head to the side and his face lit up in a white smile, the
Corellian’s unruly thick mop of brown hair fell into his eyes, and to her he
was almost beautiful. Leia found herself
gaping at him like a lovesick schoolgirl. He calmed and winked at the
Alderaanian princess, fingering the sleeve of his threadbare old shirt that she
had recently taken to wearing, her own belongings light years away on some
cruiser after their hasty evacuation from Hoth. It was the same shirt he had
worn three years earlier on the day they met. “I don’ts think so, you don’ts
have…” he stopped and reconsidered, frowning.
She was the last princess of a major royal house after all. Leia smirked at him and waggled her fingers,
beckoning the pirate to continue. Han nervously drummed his long fingers on the
gaming table, glowering accusingly at the bottle across from them. He was drunk
enough to consider her as being serious,
“Okay, okayyy…What if I lose?” he mumbled.
Oh, she had him now.
Leia took his hand,
kissing the rough surface of his scarred knuckles. “Then,” she paused dramatically and dipped his first
two fingers into the sweet liquid in her glass. She drew up her legs underneath
her on the couch, facing Han. Gripping
his wrist she pulled his dripping fingers in a line under her chin and down the
smooth skin of her throat. “Then, you’re mine… forever. “ The half slurred, but heartfelt words tumbled
from her as his fingers completed the run to bottom of the V on the collar of
the shirt. The liquid staining the shirt with a golden medallion of color where
she paused with his dripping hand. The
whites of Han’s eyes grew huge, his gaze flicking from hers to her breastbone
and returning. He ran his free hand over
his hair in a nervous gesture and paused, gripping the back of his neck,
licking his lips. The smuggler’s eyes caught her deep brown orbs and he surged
forward, hauling her to him by the waist and feverishly lapped at the amber
droplets on her exposed skin. Leia
squealed with delight, threw her head back, and closed her eyes. His
work-roughened hands roamed over her supple flesh; rasping, tweaking and
pinching. She had writhed and moaned, his touch faded to a distant tingling and
then she was fading, falling-
Han’s roguish features
swam into focus before her again. His
green gold flecked eyes sparkled with mirth, the skin wrinkling at the
corners. A silken strand of her hair was
being twisted through his fingers.
“Just starting to remember,
Sweetheart? It’s only been a few hours.”
“Shut up. “ Leia ordered him in a snarl. She remained grumpy and unwilling
to banter, especially about her passing out mid-foreplay. She roughly shoved him back in his chair,
realizing that he only had his jacket covering his lithe muscled torso. Her fingers spread on the warm tanned expanse
of his pectorals. The sparse down of his
chest hair tangled lightly over the surface of her fingers. Her mouth watered at the sight, as the
logical part of her brain wondered what kind of idiot wears just a jacket and
no shirt while napping.
“Not gonna fall asleep on me again, are ya, gorgeous?” Han’s mocking voice interrupted her musings,
piquing her ire. He appeared to like it
when she was a little rough, and he constantly reminded her how beautiful she
was when brought to anger.
This guy, Solo. She shook her head. And he was
clearly an idiot. A beautiful, sexy, brave idiot genius who had saved her life
innumerable times, risking himself and his beloved ship for her and her
Rebellion. She’d spent the better part of the last few years reminding herself
to try and hate him, and failing miserably.
Here she was, trapped on an ancient limping starship with him for seven
weeks, barely having evaded death yet again. Damn him.
“Shut up.” Leia yanked on the
collar of that damned stupid jacket that framed his lanky form so well, pulling
them nose to nose. Her eyes blazed
angrily into his laughing hazel colored depths.
The right side of his mouth quirked up and he opened it to tease her
again.
“Hey, your Worship, be
carefmphf!!” Han’s sentence was lost as
she hauled on him and mashed their lips together. She sucked and nibbled his bottom lip. Han yanked his head back, fighting for air.
“Ow! Ah, be careful…the glass! I’m not- ”
He surrendered, as her teeth grazed along the long tendon on his throat.
Han’s breath hitched, Leia’s blood thrilling when he shivered against her.
“You’re mine.” Leia
hissed, her hand continued to clutch his collar as she gently dug her
fingernail possessively into his firm chest. “You lost, you’re mine now. And you will do whatever I say, including
shutting up.”
Han’s grin
broadened. Clearly the idiot couldn’t
resist. “ Y’know Princessnessness, I’m terrible at following ord-”
She silenced any
further taunting with a fiery kiss. Leia
clambered halfway into the pilot’s seat, intending for her knees to straddle
his thighs. His holster interrupted her
progress and she had fresh dose of fury.
Leia clucked in frustration, downed her drink, pushing the glass into
Han’s hand for a refill of Comfort. Han
obliged, taking another swig himself as Leia’s small fingers clumsily worked
his buckle.
“What-“ Leia’s teeth gritted, “…Kind
of idiot,” she ground out. The wide
silvery plate clicked after an age. “ …wears a full-on gunbelt while
he’s-“ Confident, she jerked at his
thigh strap, the more conventional fastener was rapidly undone with ease.
“Sleeping!”
Han quirked one eyebrow at Leia, giving her a look like she was completely
daft. “ Seriously? I wasn’t sleeping.
Beside’s…” Han leaned close, shifting his frame to allow her to unwrap
the holster from his leg and hips, his breath maintained the heady waft of the
straight up whiskey he’d finished before her entrance. His voice went to its
lowest register, whispering conspiratorially, “There’s guys like Imperials and
even pirates out there.” His voice held itself together remarkably well
when he was drunk, he barely slurred, much to her rapidly dwindling annoyance.
Leia tossed the offending belt aside into the co-pilot’s seat, snatched her
glass from his proffered hand, and their lips met again. She took it slow this time, allowing her to
slide up his body onto the chair. Han’s mouth rose into that infuriating
lopsided smirk, he crooked his neck to lock his color shifting dark eyes with
her chocolate brown ones. The diminutive
princess was leaning over the long-limbed smuggler, relishing the way her
position mirrored his usual towering over her when they were standing. Their tongues dueled, twisted and she broke
off after a moment, gasping as his teeth nibbled the round edge of her ear. “
Aren’t you accused of being a pirate, Captain?”
Han’s right hand held the bottle, his left circled her waist, pulling
her close. Leia braced herself on his
shoulders, balancing the glass in her hand, reveling in the swelling heat in
her core. Han reached over the armrest,
carefully replacing the third of a full bottle to a safer spot. Hands freed, he tugged impatiently at the
zipper on her snowsuit, eventually sliding one cool hand under the fabric,
around her torso to the base of her back.
Leia wriggled on Han’s lap. She
shrugged at the shoulders of her top, first pulling off the side that held her
glass. Han took the tumbler from her as
she bared the creamy skin of that shoulder, and tugged the sleeves off her
arm. Han sampled her drink from the
glass, his sparkling eyes studying her intently as she stripped her upper torso
of the thick insulated suit. Glass at
his lips, he watched hypnotized, as Leia reversed out of the chair and wriggled
her hips, legs and finally her feet out of her thermal clothing. She tossed the snowsuit lengthwise on the
decking between the cockpit’s chairs, a pair of white panties and the tunic
tank-top her only garb. Eyes smoldering,
Leia leaned against the control panel and crooked her index finger at the
transfixed pilot, beckoning.
Han socked back the remainder of her drink and deposited the glass on the
deck next to the bottles. He gripped the armrest for leverage and practically
leapt of the chair, lunging eagerly towards her. His eyes grew large as he wobbled, he
straightened for a half second with a self-congratulatory grin, bracing himself
on the console behind her and the co-pilot’s backrest. Betrayed by a body that had barely moved in
hours, and having imbibed far, far too much alcohol, his left knee collapsed
and he pitched sideways to the floor in a jumble of splayed limbs.
A yelp burst from Leia as she watched him fall, transforming into
sputtering giggles as Han swore, comically disentangled himself from the chair
bases, armrests, and his own appendages.
He gave her a black look and leaned back on his elbows, his eyes dark
underneath his brows, measuring her.
“Nerfherder.” Leia wheezed, laughing, falling on her knees to straddle him
once more. Han shifted on the deck,
trying to make the best use of her discarded snowsuit as a cushion. She plucked
at the remaining webbing belt that secured his trousers. “You’re sooo
funny.” She sniggered at his clumsiness. What a goofball. Leia mused, her heart swelling with
affection.
Their fingers tangled as Han helped her unfasten his pants. Leia backed off enough to tug at the hem of
the yellow stripe that was sewn down the side, sliding the material from Han’s
narrow hips. Oh man, he was hot. Her hand traced a sensuous line up the solid
washboard of his abdomen and across the pectorals to settle in the collar of
that idiotic jacket he was somehow still wearing.
“I’m NOT a goofball.” He groused defensively. “I’ll take it off.” Han grunted, wriggling to
remove the jacket.
Leia blinked, wondering if she had actually said anything and halted his
actions. Her voice was a lustful rasp,
“No, no, keep it for now.” She nudged forward and reached for the bottle. Han chuckled and he bucked his hips just as
she raised it to her mouth, spilling the precious golden liquid down her chin
and belly. In response, Leia pointed her
sharp nail into the center of his chest in warning to still him as she took a
swig. Han smirked confidently, and
with a growl of irritation she tossed aside the bottle and whipped her top over
her head. Han’s jaw dropped, and it was
Leia’s turn to grin.
With a powerful move, Han deftly
flipped her onto her back. He was on all
fours over Leia, burying his face in the sensitive flesh between her jaw and
shoulder. He raked his teeth along her
neck and rolled his tongue over her ear lobe.
Leia eyes closed and her fingers tangled in the thick hair at the nape
of his neck as she guided him southward, helping him discover every drop of
sweet gold on her body. She swore,
cursed him, called him every name in the book and Han lapped up her rage,
Comfort and all.
Satisfied with his performance he gently spanked her hip, and she barely
could focus on his voice, her spiral easing into an electric tingle under her
skin. “What can I do to you now” he husked in her ear.
Leia shoved Solo back, straightened herself up, stretching her spine. She
stepped over him to lean against the forward control panel, being careful to
not disturb any buttons. She bent over
at the waist coquettishly, glancing over her shoulder at the love-struck
pirate.
Han wobbled upright, shedding the hot jacket, kicking it and her snowsuit
underneath the panel. He positioned
behind her, gripped her hips. “Tell me, princess”
Leia looked back at him and snarled like a panther, her eyes fire. Sensing she wasn’t going to put up with him
much longer, Han plunged his length into her in a smooth motion, and they both
cried out. Leia snarled and pushed back at him.
Han’s groans turned to growls as they accelerated. Their animal grunts
and snarls bounced off the confines of the cockpit walls around them.
Leia’s knuckles went white as she clutched the console and her vision went
blank. Her inner perception shifted, spreading out via the alcohol, the Force
and the spice in the Comfort. Leia felt a numbing rush through her body,
she felt weightless, and then a pinpoint of searing heat spiked from her core
up through her pelvis as she fell over the edge into hot oblivion. Every nerve ending in her body lit up with
white fire as she tensed and shivered uncontrollably. She reached back, desperate to hold him to
her, desperate to stem the flood of pleasure that ripped through her.
“Leia! Leia, min min larel valle! “ Han cried out. She raised her head just
enough to catch his reflection in the viewport in front of them. His lips were pulled back into a grimace as
the taut bronze muscles of his body flexed and undulated. Their eyes locked,
wide, consumed, feral and then they were both utterly lost, tumbling into the
abyss.
The whirling of the cockpit around her settled when she became aware of
Han’s callused hand caressing up the porcelain flesh of her spine.
“Holy gods, Leia.” Han
rasped.
He stumbled backwards,
catching the armrest of the navigator’s chair, collapsing into it heavily. Han’s head lifted to the cockpit ceiling, a
limp hand over his brow, wheezing, trying to catch his breath. Leia maintained her death grip on the console
for a time, fearing to walk as her bones had turned to jelly. After a prolonged moment she collected
herself, his jacket, and staggered over to him. She crumpled into Han’s lap,
drawing up her short legs to curl into a ball of comfort. Han’s head had fallen to the side; a blissful
silly smile on his face. She
instinctively wanted to both smack him and fall asleep against the warmth of
his chest. She opted for the latter, and
snuggled back against him under the jacket.
Han sighed contently,
nibbling at her jaw. Leia absently traced the raised thread of vein on his
bicep, every ounce of her indignant anger spent and forgotten. As he reached
Leia’s collarbone she playfully pushed his head away, watching mesmerized as he
swayed drunkenly, graceful in his goofiness.
Han’s toe nudged the empty bottles on the floor, rattling the glass.
“Ready for another bit
of whiskey and comfort?” he teased.
Leia blinked, stared
exasperated into his laughing eyes, willingly going for the bait. She stroked the scar on his chin with her
thumb, running her nail across the stubble, and kissed him languidly, tasting
herself on his lips. “Shut up, Nerfherder.”
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