The Perk, Saturday Morning

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Some people did... holiday stuff during the holidays. Family stuff.

Kerrigan did coffee. Good, ordinary coffee with her good, ordinary friends at the Perk, who had settled from 'cowering' to 'quiet respect' over the past month.

She was sipping her drink and pondering the weather.

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[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra didn't spend a lot of time at the Perk, really, but this morning she was craving a cup of Assam. She paused as she entered, giving Kerrigan a nod.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Kerrigan glanced up from her cup of coffee, pausing almost in synch with the girl. "...You're the kid who tried to break my security system."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Cassandra agreed. She had been, perhaps unwisely, considering making another run.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Oh, hell. "Don't try it again," Kerrigan informed her.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra tilted her head slightly, "Why not?"

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"It's a security system," Kerrigan replied, dryly, "Not an obstacle course."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Could be both," offered Cassandra.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"No," Kerrigan said, firmly, and took a drink from her coffee. "If you want an actual obstacle course, I can rig you one--" Wait, what? "--But don't use my security system for one."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Real world challenges provide better training." What? They do!

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"You're not using my security for training," Kerrigan repeated, pointing the cup at her.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Why not?" Cassandra just didn't get this part. It's not like she was going to be practicing breaking it, after all.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Because at the rate you're going, you will break it." It took a lot of time putting in those damn pressure sensors.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"But," Cassandra frowned, "That would mean failing." And Cassandra was actually good at sneaking.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"You failed last time," Kerrigan pointed out.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

That was a good point. "Underestimated you," Cassandra agreed.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Yes," she snorted, "You did." And took another sip of coffee. Mmm, coffee.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"That was before I saw you." Cassandra was pretty sure Kerrigan could pick up on the significance of that even though most people couldn't.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"True," Kerrigan allowed, "But that still doesn't mean I'm letting you near a system you're perfectly capable of kicking the crap out of."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra thought about that silently for a moment, then went to get the tea she came for while continuing to think.

Steaming cup in hand she returned and nodded, "Good point. No challenge."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Kerrigan cocked her head at the girl. "Who trained you like that?" It was impressive. And worrying.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"My dad."

Thoughts of which always brought up old memories. This one of his proud smile as his six year old daughter broke a world-class assassin's arm in three places.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Must've been hard," Kerrigan replied, her tone quieting a little.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"I guess," Cassandra shrugged. "Never thought about it." Well, not until she was eight years old and killed a man just cause her daddy asked her to.

That changed things a bit.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Probably better to put it out of your mind," Kerrigan agreed.

Killing your own mother was one of those things. Better to pack up and move on, really.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra nodded in agreement. "Working on it."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Kerrigan held up her drink in mock-toast. "Best anyone can do."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Lifting her own cup, Cassandra sipped her tea.

[aughaughaugh.livejournal.com]

Tim sauntered in, happy to be able to see again after nearly blinding himself by Christmas lights. He was absently humming the "Twelve Days of Christmas" but thinking of tools and accessories instead of geese and leaping lords.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Kerrigan sent him a wary glance when he came in, and suddenly concentrated heavily on the coffee.

It was all the tools. Giving her a headache.

[aughaughaugh.livejournal.com]

He smiled at her. And started to sing softly. "Fiiiiive thouuuusand waaatt generatooor, four cordless drills, three packs of bits, two air compressors, and a SawzAll with forty new bits."

He came over, a vat of coffee in his hand. "Hi. Tim Taylor, Shop teacher. You're a teacher here, right?"

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Kerrigan muttered. And now it was stuck in her head. Three marines... "Lieutenant Kerrigan. Tactics instructor."

Maybe she was being a little short, but his mind was... Yeah. She returned to her own coffee.

[aughaughaugh.livejournal.com]

"Tactics? Like, how to fight and such? Sounds like a tall job. Like a home remodel, how to tell the construction army and the plumbing navy and the electrician marines where to go." Tim was good with tactics.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

Kerrigan's eyes narrowed at him. "Not exactly," she said.

[aughaughaugh.livejournal.com]

His eyebrows raised. "It's not? Oh, right. Must have been thinking logistics," he said, half to himself.