It's hard not to stare, really. After all, she's /different/. Her skin is only the start, too. Closer examination, if you're feeling bold enough, reveals a complete lack of hair, besides that on her head. That on her head, as well, is worth closer inspection, being a lovely black shade, right up until about an inch and a half from the ends, where it turns to a lovely sky blue shade. And then, she turns, offering a brief glimpse of the side of her head, and the hatch there, before revealing soft pink lips, a pert nose, and lovely eyes the same shade of sky blue as the tips of her hair. And, judging by the curious expression on her face, she's not at all offended by your staring.
Oh! Hallo! I didn't see you there!
That's Xumi, in a nutshell. She's an odd girl, but she can't help being born as she was any more than the rest of us can help it. Though, depending on whom you ask, 'born' isn't the right word. After all, as a Kiridana Companion(version 5, updated to version 6.2), she's not human. She is, in fact, a gynoid!(A synthetic female human. Female form of android.) It's fairly obvious, once you're looking at her, but listening to her, she could be just another girl from, well, anywhere. Really, her vocal processor is quite impressive, with hardly even a hint of the typical synthetic vocal tones. And, well, it only gets better from there.
Her skin is similarly impressive. All of her flesh is, really. She feels human, save for an odd textural difference to her skin(doubtless caused by a lack of pores and hair, not to mention the base materials she's made of). Carbon fiber 'bones' lend themselves to impressive durability, and synthetic muscles prove rather stronger and more impressive than the human baseline. However, most of these things, much like the other lines on her body, will never be seen or known about.
Other details, of course, will be readily apparent after even a little time spent with her. For example, she really, really enjoys talking. She's... chatty, even! Though even the most inane things seem to interest her. In addition to this, she seems to have a musical and a tactile fixation, always looking for new music to listen to, and always fiddling with something. It's not uncommon to see her just sitting somewhere, rolling a grain of sand between two fingers, or across one of her thighs. It's also common to see her just watching people, apparently finding some measure of amusement in doing so. Really, you could call her easily amused, and you'd be right. However, this is actually a good thing, for her.
You see, Xumi is a failed Protective Companion model. She was bought, originally, by an eccentric, wealthy man who was well on in years, with numerous enemies, to serve as a bodyguard and, well, as a companion. Company, among other things(Said wealthy eccentric had been known, in the past, for some rather odd fetishes and perversions). With that in mind, she's amply able to provide protection as well as an eager audience, as well as conversation. That said, she is somewhat lacking in social graces, being inexperienced in pretty much everything besides listening. Her Master didn't often ask for suggestions about what to do.
He died, of course. How else would she have failed? It wasn't through any fault of her own, though. She was away being overhauled after a rather nasty encounter with some armed gunmen, which left her crippled. And, well, it was a poison that did the old man in, in the end. She finds some solace in the fact that it was, in fact, not something painful, but rather something quick and potent. However, that left her in a bit of a bind.
Her Master's will stated that she was to be emancipated, upon his death. This was, while not unprecedented, certainly something that was unusual. Emancipated androids and gynoids are few and far between, simply because many do not view them as alive, or deserving of rights. They're tools, and machines, not people! And, well, in Xumi's case, her Master's enemies(or at least some people who wanted a look at his data) insisted that she was simply a machine, and, further, at fault for his death. Add to that that there were a number of interested technology companies itching at a look at the elan power supply at the heart of Xumi's existence, and it's no wonder that a lot of people wanted her taken apart.
However... there was a Snag. A rather significant one, at that. Well, more than one, but one stood out, in particular. Specifically, that was Xumi herself. It seems that, during her service to her Master, she developed a personality all her own. And, well, with his decree of emancipation, and him willing her to herself, she technically owned herself. She was her own Master, in other words, and her directive to protect and serve her Master meant that now she would protect herself, to the best of her abilities(as some poor bastards found out when they tried to break her, one night). This caused a bit of a stir, but the judge presiding over her case was an old friend of her Master, and a vindictive bastard to boot.
In the end, she wound up winning. The will was deemed valid, her self-ownership approved, and now...
Well, Now What seems to be the question. What should she do, now? She has few to no needs, and most of her needs are physical. Her elan core provides power for free, and in abundance, meaning that aside from occasional maintenance from trusted machinists she has no need for money. What little she needs is provided by her Master's will, at that. She doesn't need food, or water(well, not quite true, but they're not necessary so much as occasionally handy), and shelter's easy enough to come by. Synthetics are allowed in all sorts of places for various reasons, and it's easy enough for her to find somewhere out of the elements to just sit and be herself, listening to music, and fiddling with things.
Of course, there's other quirks to her. Owning herself, she did find herself lacking in some areas. When she was finally finished with that absurd court battle, the first thing she did was upgrade herself. She's added a number of new features, from simple connectivity aids like built-in jacks to internet capability, with aggressive defensive measures that have thus far proven to be more than a match for hackers. As well, she's upgraded her sensor suite, and her vocal processor, as well as her internal storage systems, allowing her to do a few other things. Indeed, she seems both willing and able to learn, a fact which should prove interesting in times to come.
Short version? Cute, friendly gynoid, more than able to protect herself, among other things. Alt by The Tower, click picture, receive alt-list.
