#ask lajulie

[lajulie24]

what are your favorite and least favorite tropes you see done w/ hanleia?

Favorite tropes I see done with HanLeia: I love Friends to Lovers, that one is so good and I see a lot of writers do excellent things with it. Just seeing their relationship grow and how they trust each other as friends but then start to realize that there is something more going on — *chef’s kiss*. Lovely. Unresolved sexual tension, that’s a fun one, especially if both of them are attempting to deny how bad they have it for each other. I love a good battle couple moment, where we see them work together and support each other in the field. I’ve also seen folks do some lovely things with hurt/comfort, especially after Han is out of carbonite, or when Leia’s maybe having nightmares/dealing with the aftermath of Alderaan. Them being able to be vulnerable with each other is really special.

Least favorite tropes I see done with HanLeia: This is well-documented, but I hate the idea that Leia was a super uptight ice princess and that Han softened her up or that she was incapable of loving until Han or any other kind of baloney like that. I hate tropes where Leia is the only one with brains and Han is some kind of bumbling dumbass who can barely tie his own shoelaces and just managed to stumble into heroism or into getting Leia to fall in love with him. I also hate the idea that Han is some kind of player and that Leia has somehow tamed him or some rot like that (or that he corrupted her). Also hate HanLeia being done as enemies to lovers (unless it’s an AU where someone’s a Sith or we’re knowingly going a bit out of character for them)OR even more generally the idea that Han and Leia just bickered and fought their entire relationship. I just don’t think that would’ve been the basis for their connection, and I think the snarking they do with each other in ESB is directly related to the extreme stress they’re under and their attempts to avoid hurt by denying feelings for each other.

Thank you kindly for the ask!

Sleepover Saturday - fanfic edition

[lajulie24]

Hey, are you still doing those Wedge/Luke headcanon asks?

If so, I'd love to hear one of them! I'm trying to write a canonverse fic and I could use some inspiration

Cheers :3

Hello there! It’s been a while since I’ve posted any Wedge/Luke headcanons, but I do adore those flyboys in love, so let me see what I can come up with for you…

Overall relationship headcanon: So in my headcanon Wedge and Luke kind of had a long road before they managed to get their shit together and get together permanently.

During the Rebellion, I think they got very close to each other and then other things would intervene and pull them apart. They were friends, good ones, and sometimes there were nights of passion but sometimes it was difficult for each of them to tell if those were just comfort in the midst of war, or bonding over their shared trauma, or the start of something real. And they were really shitty at actually using their words (despite the fact that they may have bonded once or twice over their frustration that their friends Han and Leia were not using their words to resolve their obvious attraction to each other). Complicating things was the fact that Luke was thrown into being a squadron commander when he literally just arrived to the Rebellion, so Wedge is having to support him and also doesn’t want to pile a lot of other stuff like “so what is this relationship, are we together or what” on top of the other responsibilities Luke is dealing with. Then Bespin made things way more complicated, both because Wedge is LIVID when he realizes Luke fucked off to Jedi training and let him believe Luke had been captured or killed en route to the rendezvous, but also Wedge loves him and wants to care for him, but ALSO Luke has basically had his world shattered by the Vader parentage reveal. So he’s pulling away from everyone at that time.

Things get better after Endor — Wedge is one of the few people whom Luke confides about his parentage, they have some more time together — but again, nobody’s defining things. They each have their own responsibilities and they come together at times, but if you ask them they characterize it as being friends. And both of them wonder whether there could be something more permanent there, but are maybe a little afraid to be rejected / shut down so they’re like “nope, gotta focus on my job right now.” Luke has the occasional existential crisis e.g. “I’m the last Jedi, too much responsibility, not fair to someone else, maybe I am supposed to be alone, blah blah blah” when it’s obvious to anyone in the same room with them that Luke and Wedge belong together. Again, still kinda shitty at using their words.

Finally, it is actually Han and Leia (who have in the meantime, very much managed to get their own shit together) who encourage Luke and Wedge to, in Han’s words, “quit fuckin’ around and realize when the real thing is starin’ you in the face.” I think the exact details of how that transpired are fun to play with — several writers have worked on that — but I’m guessing that once they finally get it together and have some honest conversations, it’s not as hard as they think to work out their lives together. Oh, you’re the last Jedi (well, nearly so), so that means you’re going to be running all over the galaxy trying to find folks to train and/or restructuring the Jedi? That’s cool, I can live with that. Oh, you’re a starfighter commander who keeps starting highly successful squadrons and commando units, so you’re going to be off helping the New Republic military? Sure, we’ll figure that out. Maybe we’re not always in the same spot. Maybe one of us has to take a break so we can have some time together. Maybe we have to struggle through what our relationship looks like and how to be a person as well as our various roles. But it turns out they find it worth it.

Hope this was helpful! Excited to read what you’re working on — and thank you for the ask!

[lajulie24]

6 for Sleepover Saturday?

6. Headcanons that haven’t made it into a fic yet

This is a tough one to answer, because usually it’s pretty hard for me to resist the temptation to immediately use a headcanon once I’ve thought of it. But there are a couple that I’d say I haven’t yet put into a fic.

I’ve hinted in a few fics that Leia is a fan of the fiber arts, and that was something she did regularly on Alderaan; I have a headcanon that I’ve shared with a few people that Leia is really into weaving, only it’s not like a loom or whatever is going to be a handy thing to carry around during a galactic insurgency when your whole planet was destroyed. But after the war Han finds an opportunity for Leia to spend time getting back into the fiber arts, doing weaving specifically. She not only finds it a lovely way to express herself and relax and just be Leia, but also finds that it’s sort of a way of getting in touch with the Force.

Related: Chewie is also really into the fiber arts (his thing is more knitting/crochet) and sometimes he and Leia just sit and work on their projects together and talk.

I may have shared this headcanon but I haven’t used it in a fic yet: when Han and Leia get an apartment after the war is over, Leia gets really into getting random kitchen gadgets. Not because she really cooks (she is able to put a meal together, it’s just not her favorite thing and Han is really the cook in the family) but because she is fascinated with them. So they have random ice cubes molds and timers shaped like a kind of Alderaanian fruit and a blue milk yogurt maker and such.

I also have a very silly headcanon that if Han and Leia have multiple kids, one of them is a kid that looks like Han and Luke had a baby.

Thank you for the ask!

Sleepover Saturday - fanfic edition

[lajulie24]

I'm starving for some LukexWedge headcanons of any variety or flavor!

Ah, yes, my beloved flyboys in love! Let me see what I can come up with here…

Luke/Wedge headcanon for you: One of the hallmarks of Luke and Wedge’s relationship is that even though Wedge isn’t Force-sensitive, he knows Luke so well that he can often read what’s going on with him without much effort. He’s very good at picking up on the little tells that indicate what Luke needs, so Luke might come home and find that Wedge has made one of his Tatooine recipes because Luke has been thinking about Aunt Beru recently, or find an extra blanket on the bed because he needs something warm, that kind of thing. Luke definitely tries to return the favor but everyone is kind of impressed at how good Wedge is as figuring out what Luke needs on a given day.

Thank you kindly for the ask!

Headcanon party asks!

[lajulie24]

Trick or treat! 🎃👻🎃

Here’s a little something from the next chapter of One Half Won’t Do, featuring MVP Chewbacca:

[Will you be telling her before or after you present your offering?] Chewie asked, and this time Han answered him with a groan.

“It’s not an offering, Furball, you make it sound like I’m gonna leave a dead animal in front of her door or somethin’.” This was one of those times when Han wished he knew a little less about Wookiee culture than he did. And he really didn’t know all that much.

[It is still evidence of your good hunting. Even if it is an offering of textiles.]

Han rolled his eyes. “We’re not Wookiees, it’s not an offering of anything, that’s not how this works with humans.”

[I am not certain you know how it works with humans, either, Cub,] Chewie replied, with a woofing sort of sound that was the Wookiee version of a chuckle. [You are fortunate that your mate has taken such a forceful role in your courtship.]

Han glared at him. “You think you’re funny.”

[I am hilarious. And correct.]

Ask box trick or treat!

[lajulie24]

For the headcanon party...What does Han do in his free time [besides a) Leia and b) fixing the Falcon]?

Ha ha ha ha ha love your assumptions of the top two things (people) Han does in his spare time. His two loves, really.

I can think of a couple things pretty immediately that Han does in his free time besides those. One is that I headcanon that Han is actually a pretty voracious reader, when he has enough downtime and access to books. He’s a fan of mystery novels in particular, so whenever he can get access to them, there’s usually a novel or three on his datapad. (Leia discovers this when trying to find a way to pass the time on the way to Bespin — they can’t spend ALL their time in the cabin, after all.)

The other thing Han does in his free time is experiment with cooking. He learned to cook out of necessity, and because Dewlanna the Wookiee taught him he has a good grasp of the basics but also knows how to improvise when you don’t necessarily have the ingredients you want. So he definitely enjoys trying out new flavor combinations or techniques when he has a bit more time and access to ingredients.

Thank you kindly for the ask, that was fun!

Headcanon party!

[lajulie24]

Hello there. You're my giftee for the HanLeia Holiday exchange. When I found out, I was excited, and, I have to admit, kind of intimidated. Because you're such a legend among HanLeia shippers. And this is my first time ever participating in a huge fandom event like this. It'll be a challenge, but one I hope I'm worthy of rising to.

In regards to your prompts, I'm debating between going with the rumors one or the hidden talent one. With all due respect, I'm not familiar with the song "II Most Wanted," by Beyonce and Miley Cyrus. (Although, I will definitely give it a listen, in case it does spark some inspiration.)

Your likes and dislikes, wants and do not wants seem to be easy for me to stick to. Because I have similar tastes. In the end, I hope you enjoy whatever I end up writing.

I am delighted to hear from you, dear writer! And congratulations on your first time participating in an event like this. I remember feeling similar to what you describe the first time I did one of these, both excited to do it and a little intimidated by the prospect at the same time. Honestly, I still get a little “I’m so excited / I’m so scared” even now because I always want to do right by my giftee. I’m confident you’ll do great. (Also blushing at the word “legend” as I am definitely not used to hearing something like that applied to me, but that was also extremely sweet of you to say.)

And now on to the prompts! Feel free to use any of them or none of them — we’re asked to provide prompts so that our writers have a few concrete ideas that they could use to get started, but the ones I provided are meant to just spark ideas. If one or more of them sparks inspiration for you, great, but if you come up with another idea that seems to fit the general vibe but isn’t one of the prompts, that’s totally fine with me too! And feel free to pop back in if you have questions I can answer for you.

Speaking of which, it’s lovely to hear from you — feel free to send me an ask whenever, even if it’s just to say hi. And happy writing!

[lajulie24]

For the headcanon ask: I like the suggestion of "Things they do to comfort themselves". Do you have any headcanons regarding this for either Leia or Han?

Oh, yeah, good question! I think for Leia, there’s a couple of ways comfort could work. I think early on during the war, what Leia finds comforting is action. DOING something, being useful in some way. Sometimes, especially early on, that tips into escapism for her (if I’m DOING, if I’m being useful, I’m not spending time with all this hard stuff) and the other danger is that she gets so used to focusing on others that the doing things stops working as a way to comfort herself. She tries to give all her pieces away and then she’s not sure where she is.

BUT when she faces up to some things, she actually finds other ways to comfort herself. She discovers that she likes being wrapped in something snug and drinking something warm, so she seeks that out when she needs to soothe herself. She also finds that movement of certain kinds helps. When she was a teenager her friend Amilyn taught her skyfaring and she found that to be a very comforting thing to do when she has access to that. She rediscovered meditation when she taught Luke some of what she’d learned as a kid (Bail and Breha got her a meditation instructor when she was a child which helped a lot with calming her when she was sensing others’ emotions in the Force, though she didn’t know that was what it was for) and takes that up again. But a lot of what she finds comforting is simple: warmth, being wrapped up, having some space where she doesn’t need to do or be for anyone else.

That got a bit more serious than I’d originally intended, but I got on a roll there! Thank you for the ask!

Headcanon party!