Guri (Star Wars: Expanded Universe) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
marvelous_murderbot) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
voidtreckernet2021-06-22 11:52 pm
marvelous_murderbot) wrote in voidtreckernet2021-06-22 11:52 pm
Entry tags:
[Video] Clearly the most important thing right now.
[She waves gently as the feed comes on. Behind her there is a large sheet, divided into three categories: 'Heard of', 'Not heard of', and 'Variance'.]
[Her name and Della's are written, in perfect letters, in the first column.]
So I was reading, earlier in the month and had a conversation with Della. Interestingly, despite our different universal backgrounds, we had both heard the trope 'The Butler Did It' - though the books on the train have, thus far, not revealed why this trope is a thing in either of our universes.
As a result, I am curious: in how many of your universes in this something known as well, and are there any variants? For those unaware, the trope refers to fictive mysteries, specifically, wherein the murder taking place in a manor house is presupposed to have been committed by the butler, or head servant.
[Because it wouldn't be Guri if she didn't break it down.]
Oh, and I am unsure what to vote for in terms of room. Perhaps something for the arts? Would that not benefit everyone most?
[Later, she adds a text updated:]
My official vote is for 'pool'.
[Her name and Della's are written, in perfect letters, in the first column.]
So I was reading, earlier in the month and had a conversation with Della. Interestingly, despite our different universal backgrounds, we had both heard the trope 'The Butler Did It' - though the books on the train have, thus far, not revealed why this trope is a thing in either of our universes.
As a result, I am curious: in how many of your universes in this something known as well, and are there any variants? For those unaware, the trope refers to fictive mysteries, specifically, wherein the murder taking place in a manor house is presupposed to have been committed by the butler, or head servant.
[Because it wouldn't be Guri if she didn't break it down.]
Oh, and I am unsure what to vote for in terms of room. Perhaps something for the arts? Would that not benefit everyone most?
[Later, she adds a text updated:]
My official vote is for 'pool'.
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I'll get it one day. So far, only Della seems to find my humor funny, but she is very definitely an outlier.
[She eats her own, thoughtfully.]
I'm glad you find them adequate.
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Della is more than just an outlier. [ Please!! Alice doesn't think Della is a bad person per se, but by god, is that duck-woman ever pushy. Of course she'd find any kind of humor hilarious, if she thinks her own is funny too.
But it's not like Alice wants to badmouth Guri here. Nor her humor anymore than she already has, considering it's part of her. Instead she shakes her head, focusing on something more positive. ]
But the cupcakes are good. You did really well. [ ... ] Even if you got some in your hair.
[ Will Guri even be able to get that out by herself? ]
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Perhaps - still, any success is good, I suppose.
[But then, of course, she's reaching to the wrong side.]
Really? Where?
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[ Alice is about to describe it using words, but then she realises that just means they could be here all day as Guri interprets what she's saying the wrong way..
So it's just easier to be direct about it, right? Alice moves to lean forward over the table, reaching out with her hand to brush the small part of icing out of Guri's hair. ]
.. there. It should be fine now. [ It's not like Alice is going to let anyone laugh at Guri for having something stuck in her hair, after all!! ]
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Thank you. I might not have noticed for hours. You know, I was quite indecisive on the colour and decorations, but I think I managed to figure it out.
I understand one is supposed to be more liberal with sprinkles, but I already had the icing, after all.
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Alice is entirely unsure whether that's a good idea or not, considering that heart, but she might as well, right? It's now or never. ]
So what exactly did your thought process behind the decorations end up being?
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Oh, well, I began by reviewing what materials were on hand, which led me to conclude that it should be personal, you know? In the end I went with colors I...just thought you would like?
[She may even look a bit embarrassed by that, actually reddening a little] I'm still figuring all that out. But I wanted to make you smile.
After that I looked at what I had on-hand and thought...aha, her name will fit, and that was that, really. Or so I thought, because then I had one cupcake with nothing and that was actually somewhat annoying.
So I added the heart.
[The last said like that part was the most natural, non-problematic part of the entire operation.]
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But okay, breathe, Alice. Don't start with the negative in front of someone who's doing this for the first time! Say something positive first. Don't you want Guri to feel glad over having made these? ]
The colours are nice. I.. did not quite realise you picked it with me in mind, but you did a good job. [ See, positivity. Encouragement. She can do it. ] I like how they look, and the name is a nice touch.
[ ... ]
It's just.. ah.. Perhaps.. the usage of symbols needs to have a teensy bit more thought put behind it. This is the sort of thing other people could easily.. misunderstand.
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How so? I mean, other than the flagrant anatomical inaccuracies, but I think those are traditional.
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.. I assume no one has made you aware of the implications behind such a symbol, anatomy aside.
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...Have I caused offense? I didn't mean to, but...
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Surely someone who's better with the whole romance thing ought to explain this to Guri. Not Alice. But alas, here she's the one present. ]
It's just that when you give something to someone with that sort of heart on it, the general implication is that you experience romantic feelings for them.
[ Look.
Don't ask her why. This is so far outside of Alice's field of expertise that it's not even funny. ]
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[She's not at all sure how to respond to that. A number of prompts and instincts collide, and it's rare, very rare, to see her at a complete loss for words.]
[Finally:]
Oh, I'm sorry - I thought the idea of it was expressing care and affection, symbolically, I didn't...I mean, I do care and I do feel considerable affection towards you, it's just...
[She clams up again for a long, awkward moment; reddening quite a bit more than before.]
I wasn't trying to...I mean, I'm a...
[She leaves the 'I'm a machine' unsaid, barreling on. Awkwardly. She stops, an exasperated look on her face. She finally brushes past the presumption that that fact alone would disqualify her in organic books.]
This is all very hard to express. I had no intentions other than saying I cared and you are Alice and thus special for reasons I cannot entirely put into words and I didn't mean to upset you and I can see how you would presume otherwise since you are aesthetically pleasing and wonderful company so this must happen a lot so that should have been an obvious connotation I would foresee and I should just...go, shouldn't I?
[You have flustered the murderbot. Achievement unlocked. She starts to stand, her mind very full with thoughts on the nature of feelings and how in the verse humans ever figure out where the borderland is between one kind and another.]
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Guri. [ There's almost something pleading in her tone. ] Do sit down again.
[ Please. Come on. ]
I know you did not have specific intentions with it. [ Not of THAT sort, at least, although all the 'special' talk sure is.. something. Something to process at a moment that is not right this very instant. ] So please don't fuss so much. I merely said it because I didn't want you to repeat this in the future and have someone misunderstand your intentions.
[ Especially if it's a terrible lecherous man. Can't trust those men!! ]
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[Ironically, she'd agree primarily with the last sentiment, albeit from possibly an entirely different direction.]
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Come on, don't feel so bad about it.
[ Now you're just making her feel bad and awkward for pointing it out in the first place, Guri! Gah, maybe she should just have said nothing. But what if Guri would make cupcakes for someone else and they got the wrong idea? Then it'd be entirely on Alice for not warning her, and..
This is exactly why she hates being social. It's so complicated. Is there still time to jump off this train and become a cave hermit? ]
You just were not aware. Those sorts of things can happen.
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I suppose so. I hope you weren't bothered by the idea.
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But ssh, it's ok. Guri doesn't have to know, especially when the very thought of offending Alice is already freaking her out so much, right? The last thing Alice wants to do is make it worse. ]
But it is really alright, Guri. I was.. ah, well, I was hoping that we were close enough to not mind such slight things.
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We are, but...such things can go badly wrong quickly, especially if the receiving party is...rejecting towards that sentiment, intent notwithstanding.
[It's not just the thought of upsetting that's the problem, really - it's all the potential consequences, and the reminder of the many ways in which she feels certain she'll always be apart from humanity.]
Feelings are difficult.
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Do you think you are.. unlikeable?
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Well, as a person, no - I can see the evidence this is true, but…
And…I know I was built to be attractive in my galaxy, I have no idea about any other, truth be told. But that’s not…truly liking someone, is it?
[She shakes her head.]
In the long run? I do not think anyone would want a mechanical being, no. Not beyond novelty, certainly.
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[ Not to mention that Alice is practically used to being surrounded by non-human beings. It's what happens when you escape to your fantasy land more often than you actually live in the real world. ]
And plenty of them seem to have found someone to care for them in such a way. I don't think you should be so pessimistic about your chances, if you wish to have something like that yourself at some point.
CW: romanic and sexual compulsion.
Of course I do. I want to explore all those things. Romance, love, passion - but it's hard to shake the old world. And it's harder still to know what divides interest and care from attraction.
[She was quiet for a long moment.]
I was used, before, to present affection to...further my master's plans. Or to keep him company, when he was bored. Much of it is in the memories I deleted, filled with details people could use to great harm, but...enough remains.
I've never gotten to choose. And...I would like to. But it's always hard to see the dawn from the deep valley.
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I'm going to murder him.
[ Not.. that he isn't already most likely gone, considering what Guri told him before, but does that matter when the sentiment is there all the same?
Because there's way too many of these people out there, who'd exploit others in such a way. And it hurts even more to know that it happened to yet another person who's important to her. ]
I will absolutely kill him in every single world out there in which he exists.
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[It's a moment that encompasses...a lot. Acknowledgement as a person, as someone cared for - and coming from a universe that treats beings like her, at best, as chattel or closer to family pets as a rule...]
It would be a race, but...thank you. So much.
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