(OOC: directly continued from here and in particular this sub-thread.)In a rotten mood, Q stomped out of the elevator and followed the signs, and then room numbers, to 637
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Jean-Luc had messaged all the people that should know that Q was in the village as well as in his room. He'd even gone back to Ten Forward to have a nice relaxing glass of wine and try to prepare himself with life as Q for a roommate. He'd procrastinated stayed as long as he needed then headed back to his room with slowing footfalls.
His brow furrowed slightly to feel dampness under his feet. He didn't really think too much about it while he unlocked the door. The sight that greeted him, however, brought back all of the tension of the day. Jean-Luc's muscles tightened and there might have been a tick of anger in his jawline. His eyes pierced where Q was to his eyes asleep.
"What! I'm not asleep!" Q yelped, sitting up rapidly. It was only true on the very, very narrow technicality that "I am" implied this *exact* moment; he had in fact been asleep until Picard barked at him.
The floor was still sopping wet. Towels had not fixed the problem; there had been far too much water for that. At least the fish and coral were off the floor; the dead fish were bagged up in the trash and the broken coral was sitting, dripping, on the coffee table. Q hadn't wanted to throw it out; it was tangible proof that he was still a Q, dammit, even if he had to do human things like... well... fall asleep. He could still make things from his mind.
And other people's pillows.
Of course it would have been better if the coral hadn't fallen on the floor and shattered, but he'd take what he could get.
"Oh, hi, Jean-Luc," he said as his heart rate returned to something slightly resembling normal. "How're you doing?"
(OOC: other thread is not finished but Data's mun assures me the fish will most likely have been cleaned up by the
( ... )
"I'll be doing better once I find out exactly why there is a dripping coral on the table and the apparent reason for the dampness." He shut the door behind him and gave Q his best 'Captain' stare. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Q had been up to and it didn't bode well for their term as roommates.
"The coral's still dripping?" Why, yes, he was indeed a superintelligent alien being with an IQ of 2005.
"I, uh... Well, I was experimenting with my powers, trying to see if I could still use them at all, and... I decided to make a replica of your fish tank from the ship you had that Troi crashed into a planet. But it was... a lot more difficult than I expected, and... Well, I ended up making three or four copies of the inside of the tank, and, um... no actual *tanks* to put any of it in." Five or six copies, actually, judging from all the fish, but he suspected that a lower number might work somewhat better in his favor. "The effort knocked me unconscious, actually... I don't think I was exactly firing on all thrusters by the time I had enough power gathered to make the fish."
In retrospect, perhaps a fish tank had been a bad idea. Next time he'd have to figure out what he was going to make *before* the energy spillover made him delirious.
Jean-Luc glanced around their room looking for evidence of the fish but he didn't find any. He couldn't imagine Q cleaning up so he wondered what had happened to them. He sincerely hoped that he wouldn't find any in his bed.
"Let me get this straight. You created the inside of a fish tank complete with coral, fish and water yet neglected to create the tank." If it had been anyone else, he would have found that fact amusing. Perhaps if it had been another time he might have found it amusing that Q, the superintelligent being had forgot to create something to hold it all in. However, this was not that time.
"I sincerely hope that the next time that you experiment with your powers, you fire on all thrusters and create the container first." Truth be told, Picard sincerely hoped that Q didn't experiment again. Q's experiments rarely went well for Jean-Luc.
"Yeah, I sincerely hope that the next time I experiment with my powers, I remember why it's a bad idea and put it off until I'm better." Q shook his head, a wry, almost embarrassed smile on his face. "I think that must have been like getting drunk. Or sick. Or something. What's that thing that happens to you humans when there's too much excess energy in your brain, usually in the form of heat, and you start thinking things that make absolutely no sense from any rational perspective?"
He didn't equate Q with rational perspective or making sense at the best of times let alone when he wasn't firing on all thrusters.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time?" If Q looked closely he would have noticed the slight twinkle in his eye. "I rather imagine your lack of rational perspective is something that I am very glad that I didn't witness. I would have hated to have been drowned while standing in my room." Though the medical puzzle that would have resulted might have been amusing.
"Oh, I don't think you'd have *drowned*, Jean-Luc. Gotten sopping wet, maybe, if you'd been foolish enough to stand too close to the water, but it was only a few fishtanks' worth." Q grinned. "But your pet fish has a nasty sting to it, so it's just as well you weren't here. There were dead fish all over the place, and their spines can still hurt you even when they're dead. Data picked them up and threw them out." He looked at Picard, eager to prove that he wasn't *completely* useless at cleaning up after his own messes. "I picked up the coral." Except for the pieces that Data had. Which had been most of them.
Jean-Luc tried not to picture the destruction of the room with fish flopping as they slowly died. He really tried not to picture it which meant of course that he did. He made a mental note to thank Data the next time that he saw her for cleaning up.
"Thank you for that. I'm glad to hear that you have begun to clean up your messes." In actually, Q had helped Jean-Luc clean up a couple of his own messes. Saving humanity being the largest mess. It was the only reason that Picard still tolerated him. Well, that and he really had little choice in the matter.
"I suppose I should be grateful that you wished to recreate something for me that I enjoyed aboard the Enterprise." It really could have been much, much worse.
Q made a face. "I have a kid now. I've *had* to learn to clean up messes. Mine, or other people's." Although apparently his attempt to try to be a halfway decent role model to his son, as defined by the Continuum at least, wasn't going to work. Unless the Q he'd met was his son from an alternate future. Data had mentioned something about knowing that he had a child in a possible future timeline; if potential future timelines could intersect with this place freely, then maybe his own kid *wouldn't* grow up to be such a brat
( ... )
If Jean-Luc admitted anything, it would be that he missed his archaeological 'knick knacks'. He knew from the last time that he was in the village, items would appear from your world. Perhaps a few would make their way to his room this time as well.
"If it were possible to have some of archaeological artifacts here I would do so." He eyed Q. "That was not an invitation to redecorate the room merely an acknowledgment that a few items would be welcomed."
With his luck Q would take it as carte blanche to begin changing things. Not that it would hinder him in any way if Picard did or didn't approve.
"I'm sure I can help you rustle up a *few* items, Jean-Luc." As soon as he had enough control of his powers to do it without frying his brain, he was going to make a replica of everything that Picard had ever had in his quarters on either version of the Enterprise, ever. And put wrapping paper on it.
"So... what do people do for fun around here? Since I've tried the sleeping thing and honestly, it's pretty dull."
Another thought occurred to him. "Odds are you wouldn't know it if they did, but... to the best of your knowledge... is there anyone in this place who would know me already, who isn't on your crew? Besides the Vorta, I already ran into him." What he was really trying to find out was if any of the various species or beings who'd sworn eternal hatred for him might happen to be here. Which was probably not something Picard would know.
Jean-Luc had a feeling he was going to intimately know the adage, be careful what you wish for with Q arranging for artifacts.
"The only one that I am aware of is Trance. The woman that runs Ten Forward. The previous version of you offered to send some people back to their world for a 'visit'. Their physical bodies never left the village but they believed they had gone. She returned with heall of her missing memories intact."
ooc: LOL I play Trance and the previous Q had a plot idea to allow for canon updates without ever leaving the village. She would have a happy memory of Q so he doesn't need to fear my little imp.
"Wait, what? I've been here before?" Oh, that couldn't be right. Surely he'd remember that... The horrifying specter of lost memories, of mental damage from his injuries, raised itself again.
"My son said something about me coming back... Was this a future me? Oh, you wouldn't know, would you. Why was I here? Did I say anything about it?" He was just very slightly panicked. If it had been an iteration of his self from the future, maybe from the same time period that his son came from, that was one thing... although then he wanted to know why he had come here, because if he was going to get shot again that was kind of important to know. But if it had been in his past, and he didn't remember... then what other memories might he have lost when he was shot?
"Apparently the Continuum sent you here the other time as well." In point of fact, Picard had thought Q had brought him to the village as entertainment and the Continuum had brought Guinan as a counterbalance to that. It was only after he'd been in the village awhile that he realized he was brought the same as everyone else.
"I'm afraid I don't know the reasoning behind the Continuum sending you here."
"So I had my powers?" He could ask his son why he was here the last time and if it was his future or his past. Junior was probably the only being here who would know. Of course, Junior would probably find it entertaining not to tell him, given what he'd acted like
( ... )
His brow furrowed slightly to feel dampness under his feet. He didn't really think too much about it while he unlocked the door. The sight that greeted him, however, brought back all of the tension of the day. Jean-Luc's muscles tightened and there might have been a tick of anger in his jawline. His eyes pierced where Q was to his eyes asleep.
"Q!" It was barked out harshly.
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The floor was still sopping wet. Towels had not fixed the problem; there had been far too much water for that. At least the fish and coral were off the floor; the dead fish were bagged up in the trash and the broken coral was sitting, dripping, on the coffee table. Q hadn't wanted to throw it out; it was tangible proof that he was still a Q, dammit, even if he had to do human things like... well... fall asleep. He could still make things from his mind.
And other people's pillows.
Of course it would have been better if the coral hadn't fallen on the floor and shattered, but he'd take what he could get.
"Oh, hi, Jean-Luc," he said as his heart rate returned to something slightly resembling normal. "How're you doing?"
(OOC: other thread is not finished but Data's mun assures me the fish will most likely have been cleaned up by the ( ... )
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"I, uh... Well, I was experimenting with my powers, trying to see if I could still use them at all, and... I decided to make a replica of your fish tank from the ship you had that Troi crashed into a planet. But it was... a lot more difficult than I expected, and... Well, I ended up making three or four copies of the inside of the tank, and, um... no actual *tanks* to put any of it in." Five or six copies, actually, judging from all the fish, but he suspected that a lower number might work somewhat better in his favor. "The effort knocked me unconscious, actually... I don't think I was exactly firing on all thrusters by the time I had enough power gathered to make the fish."
In retrospect, perhaps a fish tank had been a bad idea. Next time he'd have to figure out what he was going to make *before* the energy spillover made him delirious.
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"Let me get this straight. You created the inside of a fish tank complete with coral, fish and water yet neglected to create the tank." If it had been anyone else, he would have found that fact amusing. Perhaps if it had been another time he might have found it amusing that Q, the superintelligent being had forgot to create something to hold it all in. However, this was not that time.
"I sincerely hope that the next time that you experiment with your powers, you fire on all thrusters and create the container first." Truth be told, Picard sincerely hoped that Q didn't experiment again. Q's experiments rarely went well for Jean-Luc.
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"It seemed like a good idea at the time?" If Q looked closely he would have noticed the slight twinkle in his eye. "I rather imagine your lack of rational perspective is something that I am very glad that I didn't witness. I would have hated to have been drowned while standing in my room." Though the medical puzzle that would have resulted might have been amusing.
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"Thank you for that. I'm glad to hear that you have begun to clean up your messes." In actually, Q had helped Jean-Luc clean up a couple of his own messes. Saving humanity being the largest mess. It was the only reason that Picard still tolerated him. Well, that and he really had little choice in the matter.
"I suppose I should be grateful that you wished to recreate something for me that I enjoyed aboard the Enterprise." It really could have been much, much worse.
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"If it were possible to have some of archaeological artifacts here I would do so." He eyed Q. "That was not an invitation to redecorate the room merely an acknowledgment that a few items would be welcomed."
With his luck Q would take it as carte blanche to begin changing things. Not that it would hinder him in any way if Picard did or didn't approve.
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"So... what do people do for fun around here? Since I've tried the sleeping thing and honestly, it's pretty dull."
Another thought occurred to him. "Odds are you wouldn't know it if they did, but... to the best of your knowledge... is there anyone in this place who would know me already, who isn't on your crew? Besides the Vorta, I already ran into him." What he was really trying to find out was if any of the various species or beings who'd sworn eternal hatred for him might happen to be here. Which was probably not something Picard would know.
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"The only one that I am aware of is Trance. The woman that runs Ten Forward. The previous version of you offered to send some people back to their world for a 'visit'. Their physical bodies never left the village but they believed they had gone. She returned with heall of her missing memories intact."
ooc: LOL I play Trance and the previous Q had a plot idea to allow for canon updates without ever leaving the village. She would have a happy memory of Q so he doesn't need to fear my little imp.
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"My son said something about me coming back... Was this a future me? Oh, you wouldn't know, would you. Why was I here? Did I say anything about it?" He was just very slightly panicked. If it had been an iteration of his self from the future, maybe from the same time period that his son came from, that was one thing... although then he wanted to know why he had come here, because if he was going to get shot again that was kind of important to know. But if it had been in his past, and he didn't remember... then what other memories might he have lost when he was shot?
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"I'm afraid I don't know the reasoning behind the Continuum sending you here."
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