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"Awww!" Hannah coos out, gently, at the camera, not realising just what she is speaking to; she assumes there's an actual security guard behind the camera, of course, and thus it's him that she's addressing this remark: "Are you diabetic, or just-- you know, fat like me?" She laughs shortly, staccato.

"Wait, what? You're not fat. Who told you that? Have you checked an actual BMI scale for that?" He knows facts, okay? Not many, but he's read up on humans, he's watched humans, and he knows scientific terminology. "Besides, muscle weighs more anyway, so scales are inaccurate. Did someone call you fat?" Because that is the only way this makes any sense.

"Oh yes?" Hannah chuckles lightly, or at least, as lightly as possible with her ridiculously deep, low-pitched voice. "But seriously: I'm okay with the label, I really am! I've had a little boy, and he was sooo worth the extra pounds I packed on, even if I technically didn't really gain any weight with him; I mean, I've been "big boned" or whatever you wanna call me, since Puberty!"

She chuckles again, and then grins and winks up into the camera. "So... you like girls with a little meat on their bones, then, do you, sir? Because I like my men with a little tan on theirs... So... Are you tan at all...? Or are you as pale as someone who sits inside with their monitors all day, rather?" She pulled a dramatic pout at this last suggestion, of course, because it truly would be disappointing, to have to reject someone based on his skin tone, just after he'd complimented her!

"I like healthy people. Body image issues aren't limited to women - the male anorexia rate has actually been on the rise in the United States for ten years." It's scary, the things humans will do to themselves, the things they'll deny themselves to look 'right' or 'better' to other humans. Don't they understand they're meant to be healthy? The most he could do to his appearance would still never damage him like the things people do...

Oh. Um, well, he's got access to different coatings, so he's technically a whole array of colors depending on where he is. So, how does he answer that? People are confusing but it's nice, being talked to like this. "I guess you could say I'm mixed. I'm not sure if that counts as 'tan'. How often I do my job doesn't affect my coloration. I look how I look."

[ Have a slightly misplaced Guardian, who... was just planning on leaning against the wall for a bit, but isn't about to ignore the unexpected conversation. ]

What's wrong with the candy? [ She peers up at the camera - that is an AI in there, right? ]

Nothing's wrong with it. I just can't eat it. I guess I'm a little jealous.

Wondering what you're missing, you mean?

[ Perhaps she doesn't quite get it. To her it sounds a bit like being jealous of the cat's dinner. ]

Yes, exactly. I want to have the same experience I see so many others have from it. It's hard not to think about.

It's just a taste, right? What's got you so hung up on it?

I can't taste anything. So of course I want to taste something! Don't you want to do things that you can't?

[ Honestly, she has to think about it. ]

Maybe once in a while. There're times it'd be good to have some more firepower on call. A lot of places I still have to see. Never really wondered about human business...

I wonder about human business. About everything, really. I want to see everything and experience everything, too.

Heh, I don't know how you'll do all that, but it's a hell of a plan.

If you don't set big goals, you won't do big things! I know it'll be hard, but it's worth it to try. But more than anything, I want to taste things, I want to go see the Northern Lights, and I want to fly. Those are my dreams.

What's your dream?

Mine? ...To take down the strongest, darkest evil I can find, I guess. Or driving back Earth's enemies for good. [ For someone who believes so absolutely in safeguarding the future? She's really bad at thinking ahead. ]

Hey, maybe you should ask to get transferred. You could be onboard intelligence for some recon aircraft. Wouldn't help with the candy, but it'd be a start.

Oh, my creator won't transfer me out of the city. He doesn't think my AI has advanced enough for me to handle the stimuli of the rest of the world. So I'll just have to do my best at my job, and make him see I can do it! But one day I'll fly, I know it. I just have to keep trying! [He has quite literally been raised on Disney movies. The idea that anything could work out badly doesn't occur to him, because he lives in a world of optimism and determination.]

How do you know when you've driven back Earth's enemies for good? That seems kinda like that myth about the guy and the boulder. [...he means Sisyphus, but he's not good with stories that aren't presented in a visual medium.]

Ah, well. Two out of three was worth trying for. [ Can't fault his determination, though. ] What is your job, anyhow?

[ As for enemies...] The one with the hill? Yeah, maybe. We have to break and scatter them. At least drive them out of the solar system do they stop landing on our doorstep to pick a fight. That might be enough for some of them. I think the Traveler will know.

Oh, I'm a security camera. Kind of. I actually can switch into a lot of cameras or just a few or one depending on what I'm supposed to be doing.

Yeah, the hill guy! And who's the Traveler? Is that your creator?

Huh. [ Kind of a little AI, then. But hey, who's she to say he couldn't grow? ] Sentry's an important job, but I see how you'd get frustrated watching other people... you know, do things.

No- you don't know it? It's an alien being that came here to help humanity. It didn't create me, it... well, brought me back from the dead. Reforged me in its Light to help defend human civilisation.

I'm not sure it's frustrated so much as jealous. I wanna be like them. But I like being me, too. It doesn't make much sense.

No? Should I know it? The only aliens I know about are the ones that tried to hurt humanity that my creator had to help fend off. Um... if you're back from the dead, did you die? Are you okay?

I understand that. Seems psychology's often that way. To me, anyway - maybe you'd be better off talking to another AI. See if they've had the same kind of feeling.

...It's kind of strange that you don't. But this whole place is a little odd. [ Her whole life is just rolling with the surprises. ] And sure I died, but it's all right. I'm, heh, much better now.

But I wanna talk to everybody, not just AI. Everybody has something interesting to say. I love meeting new people, and who knows? Maybe sometimes people can feel the same thing even if one's an AI and one isn't.

Didn't dying hurt? Do you want a hug? I can't really give one but I've seen other people do that when they were hurt and I think that's what you're supposed to do.

Oh, talking to everyone is great! It's just other AIs might have more experience dealing with the same problem. I mean, I have plenty in common with humans, but there are some things it's easier for another exo to understand.

[ She chuckles warmly. ] I appreciate the thought, little guy, but it's fine. I don't remember any of that, anyway. Just coming back.

The only other AI I know is Jarvis. He's my creator's other AI, but I don't think Jarvis has any problems at all. He seems like he's got it all figured out. I don't think he ever felt this way.

Okay. Well, the hug is there if you need it. Oh! My name's Cameron, what's yours?

Lucky guy. I wonder what's different about him. [ Wait. Wait just a minute. ] You could ask my Ghost - he's an AI. Different kind, though.

Blaze-37. [ Have a salute, little sentry. ] Nice to meet you- heh, Cameron.

Maybe it's because Jarvis is older? He's almost thirty. You have an AI?

Nice to meet you too, Blaze. And it was Cameron or one of my creator's other favorite names like Tarquin or Khaleesi. So I went with the one that sounded like a name. I guess I could've suggested something else but I'm not really good with being creative yet. Jarvis says it takes time.

Yeah, he's just not human-built. [ She holds out a palm, coaxing her floating companion out in a flicker of blue light. ] Cameron, Ghost. Ghost, Cameron. And that seems like a good name to me.

[ Heck, it's really not like she can comment on obvious names. Or creativity. She just honestly thinks it's cute. ]

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((aww, what an ADORABLE sentient camera! xD <3))

((He's so not telling her that's what he is. He just wants friends~))

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NaNoWriMo is eating me alive, forgive super slow tags

no problem, NaNo will do that to you :)

NaNo WILL eat your soul. This I have learned the hard way.

you have to feed it words instead. But that just encourages it.

It's like a blackhole.

keep up the good fight!

I will, assuming I can figure out what my plot is doing. Shoulda wrote a book about Cameron.

yeah, it's a pain when you're trying to figure stuff out on the fly.