Saga - OT Strange World (Han, Leia, OC)---Unlocked and reupped old post

Author: leiamoody
Title: Strange World
Timeframe: One year after ANH
Characters: Han/Leia, The Recorder (OC)
Summary: A visitor from the Afterlife records a sweet interlude between Han and Leia.
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The voices of squealing children tumbled end over note down the narrow street, assaulting The Recorder's temporarily assumed aural senses.

This was not an urgent mission. Those In Charge of the Universal Archives kept an ongoing record of daily affairs in the Living World, and some among them (including an Intercessor) were particularly interested in the ongoing relationship between Princess Leia Organa and Captain Han Solo. The Recorder's superiors tried to make it understand the complicated nature of the relationship between Princess Organa and Captain Solo. They were often argumentative toward each other, yet unspoken romantic feelings were hidden between every insult. It was illogical that communication among humans was inevitably doomed to needless circumvention. But the questionable art of prevarication held some appeal because it was easier to hide under the cover of subterfuge.

The Recorder caught the sound of two distinctive voices rising up from one of the quadrangles located in the northern section of the city. It was time to move.

Getting from one place to another could be a tricky affair for mortals. But The Recorder wasn't constrained by such barriers of flesh and blood. The spectral visitor dissolved…milliseconds passed while The Recorder moved down a long tunnel made of shadow and light…then it arrived at the appointed spot.

The Recorder assembled itself back into a proper apparitional form. After the last atom locked into place, the archivist noticed it was standing in the center of a marketplace. High above in the sky, the planet's solar body was several degrees off the noon ascendant.

Here in the Grand Market, all kinds of items could be found; wildflowers, hyperdrive components, vegetables, scurrilous holos. But those offerings were not worthy of The Recorder's consideration, unless they somehow became important to Solo and Organa.

The Recorder concentrated long enough for a small crystalline orb to materialize in its right hand. The memory sphere was a device created to hold an infinite amount of data intended for the Universal Archives. All living sentients were actors in the daily life of the universe, and every individual was recorded for posterity and stored in the Archives. In its palm, a swirl of rose and silver manifested at the memory sphere’s center, then merged to form a star; the orb was now recording.

The subjects of his study entered the central square from a doorway. To study every nuance of a renowned figure's daily life, in moments both private and public, meant that a researcher could better understand why certain people moved through the universe almost untouched by the vagaries of reality. Solo and Organa were two brilliant examples of that standard.

A chorus of chirps and whistles rang out across the marketplace. The princess and her companion had passed by a display of mechanical birds. The humans stopped walking and stared at the display while the stall keeper rushed to quiet the raucous automatons.

“How the hells did that happen?” Solo asked.

She laughed. “Motion detectors in the birds catch anyone walking nearby.”

He glared at the mechanical noisemakers. “Somebody ought to put a couple of thermal detonators in there.”

“You would not dare,” the proprietor told Solo.

Her Highness stepped forward, but only after casting a warning glance at her companion. “Of course he would never damage your merchandise.” She placed a guiding hand on the man’s shoulder. “Let’s go before you irritate somebody else,” she whispered.

Solo’s countenance appeared irritated, given the parameters of that particular emotion as understood by The Recorder. “Hey, don’t tell me how to act. I offered to bring you here.”

Organa somehow managed to moderate her reaction to his indignation. It normally seemed easier for the pair to remain locked in verbal combat rather than push aside those differences. But this moment elicited a rare manifestation of patience from her. “You could really be nice if you would just keep moving. We’re supposed to be keeping a low profile.”

The Corellian looked at her like he wanted to make some kind of retort, but in another unusual gesture, simply nodded. He allowed himself to be led away from the stall, and the couple blended back into the crowd.

What reason did Solo have for making the princess angry? Was it some courtship ritual instituted by the Corellians? Perhaps this behavior was something unique to Solo.

The Recorder spotted the pair standing near a fruit seller's alcove. Solo reached into a bin stuffed with brightly tinted citrus oddities, while Organa was engaged in some kind of dialogue with the fruit merchant. The smuggler plucked something from a cart near the citrus bin, then dropped a coin into a bucket attached to the cart. In his right hand was a perfectly formed Ithorian rose, delicate and blue. When she finished her interaction with the merchant and turned around, Solo presented his gift.

The princess glanced down at the blossom. "Why are you giving this to me?"

He shrugged. "Peace offering."

Organa touched one of the sky blue petals. "I've already forgotten what happened."

"If you'd really forgotten, then it wouldn't have just popped into your head." Solo grinned. "It comes out of your mouth after the words already formed in your mind first."

She laughed. "Maybe it's something in the atmosphere."

He reached up with his left hand and tucked the rose behind her ear. "There you go."

Brown eyes met hazel, then she smiled. "Thanks."

Solo nodded at her floral accessory. "Gonna keep it there all day?"

"Does it look ridiculous?"

"No, you look-"

"Adequate?"

"Nice."

The Recorder detected some abashment from the man who usually never lacked for words. Yet another permutation in his character that had to be analyzed by others trained in understanding the human condition. Perhaps those same workers might also interpret the odd behavior of this pair. While it was intriguing to see them interact in a civilized manner, this cozy mode of interaction was unusual.

But that was for later, after The Recorder crossed back into the Archives. The next several hours would be filled with other examples of strange behavior from this strange couple in this strange world.

 

I LOVED this! It's unique and interesting on so many levels! A powerful piece. I can't even pick out a favorite part, though I did particularly like:

The Recorder shook its head. Most fortunate I shall never incarnate...the whole business of living is far too confusing.

Bravo!

 

You did it! And not able were you able to write something, you were able to write something that is both unique and fantastic. I love The Recorder and that Han and Leia's relationship is a form of entertainment to The Recorder's ethereal world. Brilliant and fun. Also, excellent use of a particularly difficult quote!

?No, you look??

?Fine? Adequate??

?Nice.?

So sweet!

Great job!

 

Perhaps this behavior was something unique to Solo...- It seems Han has a knack for confusing not only certain Princesses, but Recorders, too.

 

Han confuses everybody! The princess and her scoundrel have a unique mating ritual... that's what makes it so special, I suppose.

Well done, I love these little snippets of Han and Leia. Han seems almost shy here, presenting her with the rose and putting it in her hair.

 

Thanks for your responses.

VaderLVR64--Powerful, really? Wow, completely unexpected reaction, but, hey, it works.

LASOS -- The direction of the story (strange, or unique, whatever one wants to call it) was pretty much determined by the quote. I dithered on whether or not to go in this direction, but when in doubt, one has to fall back on what they know best. In my case, it's the afterlife and the odd creatures who inhabit that side of the Great Divide.

PonyTricks--Han's a master of confusion, along with sarcasm, sabacc, among other talents.

dm1--Those two always have to do everything their own way. Special makes it interesting.

I didn't think of Han being shy when he presented the rose to Leia, but now that you mention it, that behavior would make sense. This encounter in the marketplace could be a watershed moment for them; one year after meeting each other, it would make sense they've turned a corner in their relationship, where they can stop harping at each other and start acting...better...nice...tentatively attracted to each other. Which doesn't get rid of the arguing completely, but provides some balance of civility.

 

Oh, I loved this! The Recorder and its world are really interesting. And you write a great H/L. Excellent work!

 

amidalachick--Thanks.

 

One last Han and Leia story upped from the depths.

 

Wonderful and true to character for H/l.

 

Thanks for reading.

(Reply time is brought to you by a prescription painkiller, so if none of this makes any sense...well, there you go. )

Well, they have to stay true to their own characters, because if Han and Leia were somebody else, the poor old Recorder would have gotten confused.

Sometimes it can be interesting to take an outside observer and use them as the POV from which the reader can truly (as much verisimilitude that can be portrayed in any fictional piece) see certain major characters in a light they can never view themselves. (The cheap and authorial out-of-body experience ). Love, like many other emotions, is indeed hard to fathom in its many facets, and that was another angle worth exploring from the perspective of a non-Human, non-living character.

The Recorders are very fortunate to have those little crystal balls to record everything they see and hear, because they can go back (up? out?) to the Universal Archives and dump everything in that etheric library. They don't have to be burdened with remembering everything. Other workers in the Afterlife, like the Intercessors, are generally required to remember everything, at least in the beginning when undergoing the process of becoming an Intercessor. Counselors may remember everything if their workloads become too much. But those for other stories...clearly I ask a lot of my characters, even the noncorporeal ones.

 

W-what the heck?

This is like...one of the oddest and oldest childhood dreams I had sort of coming true in somebody else's story - that we live in some kind of a film and that we're being recorded and that it's all a show. Sure, your concept is far deeper than this, but I grinned from ear to ear at the first mentions of The Recorder, an Intercessor and Those In Charge of the Universal Archives. They're...waves that can materialise?! Love it, love it, love it! And despite the fact that they're a part of whatever wavemachinery it takes to record everything from the dawn of time (take that, alleged Drall records and Jedi Archives!), they can't quite grasp H/L.

Roses? Checked. Crystal-anything? Checked! The underlying symbols in all of your short stories get more and more interesting with each read!

Serious stuff aside, there was a moment when I thought Han picked a flower from some sort of a trash bin.

 

Thanks for reading.

I always liked the concept of feeling like you're in a movie and someone watching you. Although it seems kind of creepy (which it definitely is on many a level), it's also weirdly interesting that someone or something has a record of everything you've ever done. Unfortunately you don't get a chance to see thosr images and get some perspective on your life...unless you're frozen in carbonite or stuck in a coma (perhaps?).

Yes, I do like those unifying concepts in all my fics. It helps connect things and helps my GFFA interpretation feel real.

If Han had got that flower from the trash, Leia would have done something violent with said flower and the nearest orifice on Han's body.

 

The Recorder's alien take on a familiar relationship is intriguing and I like that being some sort of higher intelligence (or at least having access to a lot of the secrets of the universe) doesn't make their relationship any more sensible. It's the whole and not the sum of the parts that keeps drawing them back together, or at least that's what I see here. The idea that the denizens of the Afterlife are tracking their lives is entertaining and a little unsettling -- I'm reminded of Timon from The Lion King. ("A bunch of royal dead guys are watching us?" ) Just as well that Han and Leia don't know they're observed!

Really liked the details on how the Recorder navigates being in the living world and their technology; though still mystical the description has a nice sci fi edge to it.

That's certainly a good description of them.

Oh, definitely something unique. I like that we see them both trying a bit to restrain their first response before that; their banter is fun but it's nice to also see that they care. The Ithorian rose thing is adorable and I love their conversation about it. "I'm not mad." "Yes you are." It's the kind of thing that could become a further argument, but doesn't. They understand each other, even if not always or fully, and the flaws are part of what they love. It's fun to witness the early days of that.

 

Such a unique way to describe them! The anthropology of love when the two involved are scrappy, intelligent, passionate people. I love how Han wins her over with such a sweet gesture.

As always, your world-building is outstanding.