Beyond - Legends Dear Irritating (L/M viggie; a love letter story)

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This was written for the Valentine's Day Love Letter Challenge, located here . I posted this originally in the Beyond the Saga story thread.

Title: Dear Irritating
Summary: A love letter and Mara. What more needs to be said?
A/N: [edit] Gabri_Jade's sequel - Dear Irritated. Read it!.

Feedback is, as always and ever, treasured.


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Dear, irritating and frustrating Skywalker,

I hope you?re happy. I?m writing you a love letter, just like you said. I keep my word, when it doesn?t endanger my life. (And sometimes even then.) Be aware, however, that I will get my revenge for this. Of all the things you could have chosen, you had to choose this ? and that is your fault. (So is my losing, since you had to argue with me in the first place.) When I said whoever wins the bet gets to choose what the loser does, I didn?t think you would be so cruel as to make me write a love letter. You didn?t say to who, by the way, and I was so tempted to write one to Han. I?d love to see you explaining that one.

I didn?t appreciate your laughter when you won our bet, either. I mean, I suppose it might have been inevitable for me to lose one of these bets, but you didn?t have to gloat, just because I gloated. I thought that you, the great Jedi Master, would be above such things. By the way, I tested our little bet again ? a lightsaber does sometimes work in gelatin. Just not always. So you only half won.

As such, this letter is going to be short.

Let?s see. Where to begin? Computer, pause.

[break]

I didn?t ask to fall in love with you. I didn?t look at you and think, ?That would be a good guy to love, to marry.? I didn?t think of your potential as a mate. Quite frankly, during the first few years I didn?t think of you as a man at all ? just an enemy turned friend. Or maybe I was the enemy turned friend . . . No matter. I suppose I just didn?t view you in that way.

I can?t name any specific point where that changed. I don?t think there was one. When I started to think of you ? romantically, it seemed like a perfectly natural and obvious thing to do. Even so, I didn?t act on it ? sometimes I felt the desire to do so, I admit, but I didn?t see you often, and it was easy enough to control and suppress. I didn?t ask to fall in love with you, remember. The entire thing was unexpected and confusing.

When you found me on that blasted planet with the Hand of Thawn, I was so angry and embarrassed. Of all people, it had to be you. You ran off in the middle of a galactic crisis for me ? and then it turns out my captors were trying to save my life. Even worse, you sensed what I was feeling. I knew then . . . I knew then that we were too close.

Computer, pause.

[break]

I never told you that when I gave the word to wake me from my trance state, I wanted you to say it first. I sometimes wonder, still, if you knew that. While our minds had been joined so intimately, I know that while I understand you and knew you completely in that moment, that connection was too much to take in, too much to remember and memorize. So I wondered if you knew that even then, some of my old fears were still carried within me. They no longer controlled me, don?t mistake that ? but they were still there. But you said it. I wasn?t awake, of course, before you said it, but I know you didn?t hesitate . . . maybe you paused, because of ? everything, but I know you didn?t hesitate.

I love you.

Oh, computer, pause ?

[break]

I still don?t say it often. I know that ? and I know that you know it. You aren?t bothered, though. I sense that. Have I ever thanked you for that? You always try to understand, Luke. It?s not enough to know something, you have to understand it ? I think it?s that understanding that makes you the person you ar

 

You really can get into Mara's head, Oba. Great letter.

 

That is such a Mara "love" letter! I loved the whole thing.

My favorite line:

You frustrate me and you fascinate me.

That says so much about what different people Luke and Mara are, but explains so simply why they are together. Beautiful!

Of course, I also liked the ending to the letter...

Addendum ? I?m still kicking your butt for this, Skywalker.

Hilarious!!!

 

That was very good. I think you have done better capturing Mara's "voice" than some authors writing for the EU have.

I hope you will check out my story that I posted today.

 

I LOVE this piece, oba. This is such a perfect Mara version of a love letter.

When I said whoever wins the bet gets to choose what the loser does, I didn?t think you would be so cruel as to make me write a love letter. You didn?t say to who, by the way, and I was so tempted to write one to Han. I?d love to see you explaining that one.

LOL! Trust Mara to think that writing a love letter is a cruel punishment, and I'd like to see Luke explaining a love letter to Han too.

By the way, I tested our little bet again ? a lightsaber does sometimes work in gelatin. Just not always. So you only half won.

I'm still astounded that you would think of a bet regarding whether or not lightsabers work in gelatin.

I never told you that when I gave the word to wake me from my trance state, I wanted you to say it first. I sometimes wonder, still, if you knew that. While our minds had been joined so intimately, I know that while I understand you and knew you completely in that moment, that connection was too much to take in, too much to remember and memorize. So I wondered if you knew that even then, some of my old fears were still carried within me. They no longer controlled me, don?t mistake that ? but they were still there. But you said it. I wasn?t awake, of course, before you said it, but I know you didn?t hesitate . . . maybe you paused, because of ? everything, but I know you didn?t hesitate.

I especially love this paragraph. You and I think very much alike about that Force meld of theirs and how it works, and Mara's revealing this much is very touching.

I still don?t say it often. I know that ? and I know that you know it. You aren?t bothered, though. I sense that. Have I ever thanked you for that? You always try to understand, Luke. It?s not enough to know something, you have to understand it ? I think it?s that understanding that makes you the person you are. You frustrate me and you fascinate me.

Such a perfect summation of why Mara loves Luke.

Sometimes, before we got together, I?d lay down before bed and use one of those meditation trances you taught me. I would focus one that one thing, how much I loved you ? and it was enough. Even if you hadn?t returned my love, it would have been enough to love you, because in the end, that is what made me live.

That is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. I can easily imagine Mara doing that and feeling that, too.

Addendum ? I?m still kicking your butt for this, Skywalker.

The final Mara touch. Simply perfect in every way, dearest.

 

Wonderful, oba! Perfectly in character for Mara, from her protesting that he only half won the bet, to her confession of why she wanted Luke to say 'I love you' first.

 

RebelMom: Thank you.

kayladie97: Thank you. Aye, I was really trying to get into her head. It came surprisingly easy this time. Glad you like that line, I almost left it out. And I needed some good way of ending it, and that part just came to me . . .

Anakin Starkiller: Thank you. I think a lot of fanfic writers do that, though.

Gabri: You know, before this, I never gave much thought to how Mara would write a love letter.

Well, Luke is essentially forcing an emotional display, so of course she would think it cruel. And what is so astounding about a bet about a lightsaber working in gelatin? It was just a result of the randomness of my mind, dearest. Glad you like it all. *huggies* Thanks!

Jedi-2B: I figured she would argue about his winning, hence the 'half won' line. I'm glad you think it's all in character. Thank you!

 

That was hilarious! And so Mara! I love how she's such a sore loser, but still so honorable that she still honors her challenge loss. The thought that she would write a love letter to Han just to 'get' Luke had me rolling! Now I can't get the picture of a befuddled Han out of my mind...

The best part, though, was that in spite of her reluctance to actually say her feelings out loud, that she really does love Luke, and when she articulates it, she is candid enough to admit things that embarrass her.

"I'm still kicking your butt for this, Skywalker" is the perfect ending.

Wonderful job, oba.

 

Oh u gotta love mara!! that was hilarious!! the whole gelatin was great!! and the end about kicking his butt, that was good too!! But I especially like the "I love you Skywlaker" part!!

Now about that lvoe letter to Han,can we see that?

 

You're welcome for clicking.

This is SO wonderful, Oba! You keep creating such beautiful and original stories. I love how you get inside Mara's head that way. My favorite part, I believe is the paragraph where Mara talks about meditating on her love for Luke. It was just...enough. I know exactly how that feels, and I salute you for capturing the feeling so well. And so...Mara, to boot.

Oh, and the addendum just made it perfect. *grins*

Love,

Emmi

P.S--When do we get to read "Frosty the Jedi"?

 

That was great! Loved it.

 

Lol, that was awesome! Very funny...Mara's continual threats on Luke's mortality... *sniggers*

 

Hehe, I love this one. Course you already knew that.

Addendum ? I?m still kicking your butt for this, Skywalker. I still love this line

 

This love letter is just hilarious!!! So Mara-ish


Now I'm gonna read Gabri_Jade's sequel/companion/whatever...

 

This is hysterical from start to finish! Awesome!

The tone of voice in the letter is just perfect - complete grumbling sincerity, exactly what I'd expect from Mara. Too bad Luke only made her write one...

but you didn?t have to gloat, just because I gloated. I thought that you, the great Jedi Master, would be above such things.
Hee hee!

 

Oba! This is soo funny! Very, very Mara. I loved the addendum

Paige

 

You know, I actually read this a while ago when you first posted it in teh challenge thread, but now I've finally gotten around to replying And it was great! Awsome, spectacular, wonderful! I absolutely LOVE how you write Mara and Luke in all your stories and I can't wait to read more of them

EJ

 

A great piece Obaona!

Magnificent from the title to the very end.


You didn?t say to who, by the way, and I was so tempted to write one to Han. I?d love to see you explaining that one.

Me too! Me too!



I didn?t ask to fall in love with you, remember. The entire thing was unexpected and confusing.

Well, my dear it is always like that. If we could fall in love with the guys we choose and when we want it, life would be more easy. And more boring, I guess.



You frustrate me and you fascinate me.

I love this line. It happens only when you are madly in love.



Addendum ? I?m still kicking your butt for this, Skywalker.

Mara is always Mara!

 

*jumps around wildly* I actually read Gabri_Jade's story first and then hopped off to read this one as well. And as usual, I was impressed/amused/touched--you've definitely got down pat how to evoke the most positive response from me! Three cheers for this one!

 

LadyPadme: Thank you! I figured Mara would honor the deal, but be very unpleasant about it. Just because Luke was right doesn't mean she has to like it. As for Han - ever since Gabri's sequel, I can't get that image out of my head either.

I'm glad you liked how I had her say the more emotional stuff. Mara doesn't tend to be emotional, so it's always interesting fooling with her to get her speak.

Thank you again.

JainaPadmeJade: Why do people find the gelatin so . . . shocking? Glad you liked it - thank you! As for Han - I really have no idea, at this point.

Emmi: I've never had anyone respond to that before.

Thank you. You're such a darling. It came to me, and I wrote it about five minutes later. I'm actually glad you liked the meditating part because I was sorta iffy about it, but I wanted to express it. I just wasn't sure Mara would. So I got her in-character!

I like the addendum, too. Frosty the Jedi is currently half-written, slowly decaying in a not-recently-opened file.

joy_noel: Thank you.

AdraTallon: She does it as a sign of affection. After all, if Luke was odd enough to ignore them in the first place . . . Thank you!

J_M_Bulldog: I did. Thank you again!

Ireth_Tasartir: It's awesome. Thank you!

Darth_Lex: Thank you! Grumbling sincerity - that's great, I love the way you said that. Yeah, well, Luke knows when not to push Mara's limits. Usually.

Ariapaige: Thank you! I added the addendum because it just needed something.

Eowyn_Jade: Thanks! I know what you mean about getting around to replying - I did the same thing. But I'm glad you liked, and flattered you think I'm a good writer. Thank you again!

JediArwen: Can you just picture the look on Han's face? Aye, if only we could fall in love with whom we pleased, then life would be predictable. Well, the guys would still be around to make things interesting, I suppose. [/random] Thank you!

Tilly: Isn't Gabri awesome? Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. 'Tis the ultimate compliment.

 

Lol this letter is great!

Good job!

 

*laughs* I don't know nearly enough on the L/M story to understand the quirks and quips of their relationship, and I'm not even going to pretend that I do. You do, though, and that grasp that you have on the characters really shows.

I love the gelatin thing. Made me giggle and go because it was so unexpected. And the addendum was priceless.

Lovely, oba. The language and just the way you succinctly captured the emotion that went into the letter shows just how great you are at getting into her head.

 

LaYa_: Thanks!

Elli: Thanks! You do all right with L/M - you've written them before, after all. But thank you.

What is it with the gelatin? Everyone seems to find that particular aspect so unexpected and amusing. The addendum, now, that I can understand! I'm glad you liked it, Elli - and moreoever, that you think I wrote it well. *huggies* girl!


Manual Sig Time.

 

You do all right with L/M - you've written them before, after all.

I don't think I have, not technically ... I kinda sorta really killed her off in the prologue, so does that really count? And I've ne'er read any Zahn books, who I assume has the best hold on her character and their relationship in general, so I don't really feel like I've got a good grasp. Only EU book I've read with Mara was Star by Star, and I don't remember her being in there much. *shrug* So yeah. That ends my rambling.

I still love all the L/M fics, though, because ... well, I just do.

*is bumping up* Happy Leap Day!

 

That was tottally and compltely MARA! You wrote her so well, she's one of my favorite character and she's always been a struggle for me to write, so, congrats to you!