[Panel 1: Riker and Hare arguing, Riker spreading his arms in exasperation as Hare points at him accusingly. Their dialogue is overlapping both each other and the art. The dialogue goes, Riker: "I didn't even mention--" Hare: "You sure as hell implied--" Riker: "You brought Rabbit into this!" Hare: I'm not stupid, I know what you're getting at--"]
[Panel 2: Hare, furious and scowling, says empathically, "Pops didn't have to put a bug in me to make me feel this way!"]
[Panel 3: The Skull steps into the conversation, Hare looking up at him in surprise. The Skull says, "There's a lot Becile did to us that he didn't have to."]
[Panel 4: Hare stares at The Skull (off panel) in shock, saying, "… 'Becile?'"]
[Panel 5: Hare turns to snarl at Riker, full of anger and suspicion. He says icily, "… What did you do to him?"]
[Panel 6: Riker, offended but also concerned, says, "I just took out the amp!" The Skull says, "He's telling the truth. Stop plugging your ears, Hare!"]
[Panel 7: Dee, Scratch, and The Jack watch the argument with varying levels of emotion-- Dee surprised, Scratch concerned, The Jack worried. Hare shouts from off panel, "How am I supposed to trust you?!Any of you?!"]
[Panel 8: Hare looks down and away, good eye narrowed, and growls, "Things have always been this way. And if I can't trust you lot about that…"]
[Panel 9: Hare storms out of the room, trailing smoke and saying, "… Then I know who I can."]
[Panel 10: Everyone else stares after Hare silently, except for Riker, who is looking with concern over at Dee.]
[Panel 11: Same shot except Riker is squinting, Dee and The Skull are looking at Scratch, and Scratch is making the first part of the ASL sign for 'board games.' Scratch, with an exasperated expression, says, "Someone please ask Dee if she likes board games." End ID]
So i know im very noncanon marionette wise (thought i prefer puppet) for a number of reasons:
I was a ghost child but like... i grew up? I didnt stay a child, i couldnt. I had to protect the others.
Some of the others aged and some didnt/we aged at different speeds
I was not the canon ghost child, im very certain i was either a boy or neither
I really really liked my jeremy, like mad crushing on him. Maybe dated. Jsjdkss i used to drag him around or into my box just for funsies it was hilarious, foxy thought it was the funniest thing
I lowkey might have known jeremy or one of the other guards before i died???
Life was meant to be fun. At least, as much as possible. It was one of Q's driving goals in life. Though often, he also observed. Well, was it really observation if you knew? He was sure there was some philosopher who cared about that question, but it wasn't him today.
Today was all about one particular life form, largely unique in this galaxy. That was really quite an accomplishment. Novelty was a rare thing for a being as old as Q, and the android was fairly novel.
But all he seemed to want was to be a real boy, like the humans. Why humans, of all species in the galaxy? No doubt, that was a topic that could be hotly debated. Again, by someone who cared to have the debate--maybe he'd do it if he could play Devil's Advocate. That was a fun little mortal turn of phrase, wasn't it?
Intent on studying the object of his curiosity further, he decided to give Data a proper opportunity to turn himself into a real boy--with Q in the role of Geppetto, of course. He'd been waiting and watching, just needing Data to shut down for a routine maintenance so he could bring him here without too much fuss. Having finally found that opportunity, he waited now for the android's maintenance cycle to finish while he set him up with all the proper trappings of a marionette, strings and squeaky joints included.
