Office Hours, Tuesday All Day

[on_her_korhal]

After having heard it mentioned on the radio, Kerrigan had decided to go check out this 'eBay' thing on the internet.

She may have gotten a little engrossed in the process.

Just a tad. Really.

[ open hours for eeeeverybody ]

Comments

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

Lee had a question. A curious question. And he was curious about the answer to his curious question.

"Got a minute?" he asked without preamble.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Adama." Kerrigan glanced away from the hideously overpriced but strangely fascinating-- Well. "I'm going to regret this." It wasn't a question. "Go ahead."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"What? No niceties beforehand?" Lee asked, smiling. "No offer of coffee?"

Because, really, he couldn't stop by and not be a jackass jackass.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"I don't do niceties." Her eyes narrowed at him. "Coffee would just get you uppity. Spill."

There went that good mood Kerrigan'd been nourishing over the weekend.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I'm already uppity," he said and shrugged. "Fine."

It really was just a question of curiosity. Really.

"Do you think I'm like my father? You met him. And he met Ares and I don't trust his stupid judgment on something like this."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

But he trusted hers? She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. Then simply studied him for a moment.

"Yes and no," Kerrigan finally replied. "You've got all the talent and none of the discipline. Your brain's all up in a cloud half the time. If you focused..." She paused, ending that thought with a silence. "You have the potential to be."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I don't want to be," he said and scowled. "I don't want to be like him. Damn it."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Kid," she said, squashing down the irritation that was rising up in reaction to his, "You're seventeen years old. Unlike a hell of a lot of people out there, you still have a choice. From what I can tell, though, you're a fighter. Like your dad. That's not gonna change, whatever you do."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"My name's Lee," he said automatically. "Did you have a choice?"

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"Not really," Kerrigan responded, her tone flat.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"So, what makes you think I do?" Lee asked, crossing his arms.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"For one thing," Kerrigan said, barely keeping herself from snapping, "The fact that you're here, and not in a military training facility. That's usually a tip-off. Nobody's pointing a gun in your face." Yet, anyway.

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I was," he admitted, shrugging. "Military school. Father's recommendation, of course. I don't have as many choices as you think I do."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"More than I did." She eyed him with eyes half-narrowed, her own memories flickering through her mind. Daring him to make a glib remark about that.

"You're here, Adama. I know armistices. Your universe might need every hand they've got soon enough, but there's nobody telling you you gotta answer the call. Even if I think it's blatantly moronic not to."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I like to fly," he grudgingly admitted, "more than I like anything else about the military."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

She sighed, streaking a hand over her forehead and into her hair. "Then, for god's sakes, Adama, fly. Just do something with your life that's not sitting around whining about it, 'cause trust me, a lot of people have it a hell of a lot worse."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"You don't like me, very much, do you?" Lee asked, dropping his questions.

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"I don't like a lot of people," Kerrigan said matter-of-factly. "The duplicity gets on my nerves."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"Your lecture last week was nice," he said, snickering a little. "Very informative."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

"I leave diplomacy to the diplomats," she responded coolly. "Which you're not, obviously."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I'm not," he agreed. And, for some reason, he thought about apologizing for giving up so early last week. It hadn't been her fault, he'd just been feeling moody and idiotic. Instead, he said, "If I could do it again, I wouldn't have brought the glitter."

[on-her-korhal.livejournal.com]

If you mentioned the fact her expression lightened a little - grew a little amused, even, with a slight smile to match - she would probably shoot you. "Shut up, Adama," Kerrigan replied, "And get out already."

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

He gave a small salute and said, "See you in class," before turning and heading out.