video | un: mantis

[uglybug]

Hello. I am Mantis. [With that abrupt greeting comes an equally abrupt (and not at all awkward, really!) smile. She's trying. There's a bit of a pause here, as her smile fades a bit, to be replaced by a genuinely contrite expression.] I apologize. I know I have a hideous face. I will not show it here again. I wanted to meet all of you, though.

[And that means face-to-face, you poor unfortunate souls.]

Some of you have asked such interesting questions. I am afraid that I do not have any to ask of you. I wanted to meet you all and introduce myself. [Cue the friendly awkward smile again. She is getting better at it, at least.] Oh! Perhaps you could tell me something about yourself. [A pause, as she tries and fails to think of a more specific question. Then, a little defeated:] Anything at all will do, I suppose.

[She glances downward for just a short moment, uncomfortable and anxious at the attention she's calling toward herself. But it's just that: a short moment, easily mistaken for wandering attention, perhaps.]

Comments

[uglybug]

I think so. I was only a child and I would not have been able to read an android anyway, child or not. I was treated very kindly. It made my stay pleasant.

[One happy memory in a sea of bitter ones.]

[idealog]

[ A child? Near sexbots? That seems off, but 9S can't quite place why. ]

It sounds like you haven't been around a lot of helpful androids. Minus the sexbots, I guess. The ones I know were designed to help people. [ Humans, technically, but she doesn't seem like the kind of alien that would try to take over a planet with machines. ]

What do you mean by "read an android" anyway?

[uglybug]

[Ego wasn't exactly careful of his pet seeing or hearing too much for young years.]

I have empathic abilities. If I touch someone, I can feel what they are feeling.

[idealog]

[ Not cool Ego. Not cool. ]

That sounds pretty intense. It's hard for even androids to suppress emotions. And you're still able to sort out your own feelings from there?

[ But she can't read him! Probably. 9S is more than a little relieved. It's easy enough to pretend like everything's okay, but his feelings are still a mess. ]

[uglybug]

I have not been around many people, so it has never been a problem before. I do not think it will be a problem now.

[idealog]

That's good, at least.

If it helps, I think all of this is a new experience for everybody. You don't have to be alone and you can do whatever you want now.

[ That was already making a huge difference to him. ]

[uglybug]

Whatever I want. [She repeats it with a bit of a wry tone.] I am not certain where I would even start.

[idealog]

I'm having the same problem, actually. [ He chuckles nervously. ] Was there anything you really liked to do on your own time?