Just a Bunch of Unruly Kids
The Doctor smiled and crossed his arms in his usual self-satisfied manner. "I'm like... the embodiment of the creative spirit. Artistic genius personified."
B'Elanna glanced up from her console. "You mean arrogant and highly insecure?"
The Doctor shifted, then sniffed. "You don't have to be so blunt, Lieutenant." His voice cracked.
Seven glared. "Only I am allowed to say things like that to the Doctor."
B'Elanna straightened, glancing quickly at the door. "You're both arrogant and highly insecure!" She bolted out of the room.
Seven was silent for a moment, then sniffed. She put a comforting arm around the Doctor, who was now crying.
"…Would you really say something mean like that, Seven?" he asked.
"Only in jest. You know that."
"..Seven? Are you… crying?"
"MY OCULAR IMPLANT IS MALFUNCTIONING!"
~
B'Elanna was nearly out of breath by the time she caught up with Tom. "Alright, Paris, you owe me eight replicator rations, not six. Ten of this causes another existential crisis that I end up having to fix."
Tom laughed. "Relax! They'll adapt." He fished the datachips with the rations out of his pocket. "But that's fair. Eight it is."
B'Elanna shook her head. "You and these stupid bets… I almost got assimilated back there."
~
Chakotay frowned. "…I think the kids are fighting again."
Janeway tapped a button on the central console and spoke over the ship's comm system. "You all better behave yourselves back there or so help me I'll turn this starship around and we'll all go back to Borg space!" She pressed the button again and turned a serene gaze on Chakotay. "Problem solved."
"…You wouldn't really do that, would you, Kathryn?"
Janeway grinned cryptically.