777: Additional RP Server - usa︱tezdo-aid-coalition

According to her internal calendar, it had been four years and two months since Aria had returned to the Tezdo Aid Coalition. Four years spent at Starfleet Academy, a month aboard the Mandelbrot, and a month aboard Starbase 777. She had rightfully earned her space legs, and so setting foot on the bank of the Allegheny River where the TAC had its headquarters was, at least for a split second, a little disorienting! It had been quite some time since she’d been planetside, to say the least. After regaining her footing, for a moment or two the young android stood on the TAC’s dock, watching the water flow past. There was an artificial river aboard the starbase, but nothing quite compared to seeing the real deal. She crouched down and extended a hand into the water, shifting it and her fingers around, feeling the way the water felt on them. A small smile came to her face as she did so. Soon, she was seated on the end of the dock, playfully kicking her legs in the water. It felt good to be home!

Dr. Tezdo, in the meantime, had been spending much of the time Aria had been in transit readying the android’s room. She’d since turned it into storage, which it was in the first place before Aria was finished. She’d saved the sentimental things in her office, like the little paintings and the crafts that a younger Aria had made. After all, it wasn’t like she was going to be coming back to live here! Marie wasn’t too torn up about needing extra space…but, it didn’t hurt to make the room look a little more presentable while Aria was staying for shore leave. She put up some nice curtains and a bookshelf, some potted plants, that sort of stuff. It made the room look a bit more like a guest room than Aria’s childhood room. Though, she supposed Aria didn’t quite have a childhood. And this was what parents often did to the rooms of their children after moving out! Well- Parent. Creator. Well- Semantics. Dr. Tezdo didn’t have much time to dwell on it, as when she slid the curtains open for the morning, she spotted Aria down on the dock. Oh, look at her! She felt herself get a bit misty-eyed before quickly making her way down and out to the dock. “Aria!”

Aria perked up from where she was sat, and turned to where Dr. Tezdo called her name. Dr. Marie Tezdo! Her creator! She had only seen her over video calls for fifty months! For 1,521 days!! The android quickly scrambled to her feet, leaving a puddle of water on the dock and little wet footprints all the way over to Dr. Tezdo, giving her a very big hug. Aria was unable to tear up, but her expression was certainly one that would be accentuated by tears in organics. She had been taught how to hug Dr. Tezdo when she was younger, and buried her head into the crook of the doctor’s shoulder and neck as she tightly held her waist. After a few moments of very sweetly holding one another, Aria lifted her head up to face Dr. Tezdo with a big smile, “I have a lot of things to tell you about concerning my first posting aboard Starbase 777, many of which are good!” (edited)

It had been way too long since she could hug Aria, so Marie savored it for a few seconds longer than they usually did before the android- HER android lifted up and away, excitedly telling her about Starbase 777. That’s right, her first posting! Vice Admiral Th’zhalot had done such a nice thing in making sure Aria would have a safe place to be and wouldn’t end up shut down on some strange planet out there in some unexplored region. She shuddered to imagine that…but Aria seemed to have been enjoying herself! Many of the things which she had to tell her about were good, after all! “Oh, that sounds wonderful!” Dr. Tezdo replied, turning to wrap her arm around Aria’s waist as the two began to walk toward the building proper, “Well, I want to hear everything, from your first day to just before you left!”

Aria lingered in the hug as well, having shared similar sentiments to her creator. She had not hugged any individuals outside of Dr. Tezdo, and due to the fact that the friendships which she was forging aboard the base would take some time to reach the level of sentiment required for physical touch between one another, she did not imagine she would be hugging many individuals outside of this very moment in time until later on. This is all to say that she was very, very happy to get the chance to give Dr. Tezdo a hug. She walked in step with the doctor, her shoes held against her chest, “I am uncertain if I would be able to tell you absolutely everything about my time aboard, as I would imagine that certain day-to-day events would not be noteworthy enough to inform you about,” A pause. She recognized the look on Dr. Tezdo’s face, “I have misunderstood. This is a statement of hyperbole. I will inform you of what I have found noteworthy!”

Oh, bless. Despite her time with Starfleet, Aria was still getting tripped up by the figurative. Marie gently leaned against her and gave her a soft look, letting her know she didn’t mean it literally. When the android continued, she took in a breath and nodded, “That sounds nice, Aria. How have you been doing with conversation, hon?”

The android hummed quietly when Dr. Tezdo asked her. She flicked her eyes down in thought, trying to put the words together. “As I have been placed aboard a base where multiple individuals will speak to me on a daily basis outside of the medical team, I have been attempting to lower the amount of words which I say while conversing with others, but I have found it…mm…difficult. I am uncertain as to how to convey certain meanings without explaining the statements which I make, as it seems largely inefficient to allow for misunderstanding in conversation. I often misunderstand the statements which others say, as they do not elaborate on what it is that they are trying to convey. Therefore, I have seen fit to disallow similar feelings in others! But I have been informed that this method of conversation is one which others find tiresome.”

The doctor listened very sweetly to Aria speak. Every word she said had meaning, and Marie wasn’t about to dismiss the things she said. Though, she did admit that Aria could do with a little bit of trimming down the things she said, which she was trying to do! Though…it was probably going to be slow goings. It had been ever since she taught Aria to speak with emotional inflection, rather than monotone. She did, however, give her a bit of a worried look when she said that people told her they found talking to her ‘tiresome.’ “Mm…I don’t think that method’s tiresome, Aria, it’s just…a lot. I think it’s very sweet of you to make sure people don’t misunderstand you! But I don’t think you have to explain yourself all the time, maybe just if someone does misunderstand you. Hm?”

The android tilted her head. This would prove helpful, right? Individuals would only request explanations if needed, as she often requested elaboration when individuals caused her to misunderstand statements. Therefore, she could attempt this! And it would serve the secondary purpose of helping her to naturalize her way of speaking! “I will keep this in mind, and in the next conversation I have, I will attempt this method!” She very noticeably fidgeted for a moment, trying her best to hold her thoughts in, “It- Ah- Mm,” She gave Dr. Tezdo a sheepish smile, “I believe that this will be a hard habit to break.”

She let out a soft laugh when Aria did her best. She was great at doing her absolute best, “You don’t have to force it, hon, but it was a good try. Give it some time.” She opened the door of the building for Aria, leading her inside. The Coalition’s lobby was a small room with a reception desk and large windows that gave visitors a look into one of the manufacturing areas. A staircase led up to the office space, as well as Aria’s room. “So! Starbase 777, it sounds exciting! Meeting new people, cultures. It must be really interesting. Have you made any friends?”

“Affirmative, I will give it some time. Thank you for providing me with a potential secondary method of conversation! As I had stated, I will keep this in mind,” She smiled again, slipping into the door which was held open for her. Aria knew the lobby well, having walked in and out of it many times. Her eyes lingered on the window into manufacturing for a moment, trying to see what was being worked on but not quite getting the full view. No doubt it was another android. Maybe her older brother was getting his new positronic brain! She was sure that Dr. Tezdo would’ve told her about this, though, so she doesn’t assume as such. Maybe she would be getting a new sibling soon! R2-A…she had wondered what their name might be, and had come up with a few options. Maybe Arty, or Arthur, if they wished to have a name derived from their identification like herself. Who knew! Either way, the familiar hum of machinery and tools working on something was enough to instill her with some more excitement about being home. “Affirmative! Starbase 777 is quite exciting! I had originally been hesitant to be placed aboard, but in the month since my arrival, I have settled in quite well. I have met many individuals who I would wish to call a friend! Of these, the most notable are Lieutenant Commander Alizati tr’Kota, who is another android, and Lieutenant Commander Ort’Ok, who has provided me with the nickname ‘Blue’ as a sign of friendship!” (edited)