Posted by Civilian Revna Freya McKenzie (Diplomatic Attache) in A Meal, A Hearth, A Home

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in A Meal, A Hearth, A Home

Posted by Civilian Revna Freya McKenzie (Diplomatic Attache) in A Meal, A Hearth, A Home
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Revna closed her eyes, heart racing, chest heaving, a shiver of warmth going down her spine as he held her. She chuckled softly, a light sultry sound, that faded quickly. Then there was a slight wheezing to her breaths as she tried to slow her heart and respiration.
Revna ‘Better be a gym on board’s McKenzie

“You were right… tub was awesome. Next time, we should try to actually relax in it.” and he chuckled. “My god, woman… you are incredible. Are you sure this isn’t some kind of joke? Like in a minute the lead singer from Bach’s Bu##hole is gonna jump out and yell ‘Got ya!’.”

He rolled his head so he could look at her and smiled. “If that’s the case… can you ask her to give me just one more day? I don’t want this to end.”

Mike ‘Bath Tubs Can Be Dirty Too’ McKenzie

Revna smiled briefly blushing happily at the compliment and shook her head no, “Didn’t kno…” she stopped, a hitch to her breath, the wheezing a bit harsher. So this is what Jameson meant when he said respiratory therapy could only account for so much. She swayed heavily against him and then let herself rest against him. She was dizzy and seeing spots but she wasn’t concerned, yet…

Revna ‘New Lungs Need Training’ McKenzie

Mike sat her up and said “Hey… Rev… you okay? Whats wrong?” and he lifted her chin gently to look at him. “Hey… Im gonna call Medical. You checked in on the Manhattan right? They’ll send somebody to check you out.” and he held her while he reached for the comm panel by the bed.

Mike ‘Mom Said I Shoulda Been A Doctor’ McKenzie

She reached for his hand and shook her head. It was embarrassing and slightly funny, but she didn’t laugh. Revna nodded, she’d checked in on the Manhattan yesterday.
She let go of his hand so he could call medical because if it was him she’d feel better having medical come. =^=we’ll send someone right away. We can get there faster if you inform security we are coming.=^=

Revna laid back in his arms. She took his hand back laying his palm in the middle of her chest along her sternum, eight very pale, almost gone, jagged lines could just be seen on either side of his hand. She breathed heavily against his hand, the pressure from the weight of his hand helping. After a minute of slow breathing she spoke slowly, but without strain, “Just creating new limits for my lungs.”

And then the door chimed.

Revna ‘I’m okay, Promise’ McKenzie

Mike had slid on sweat pants and a t-shirt and yelled “Come!! We’re back here!” A few moments later and NE Vo’tre and NE Chandler came in. Mike moved out of the way and let them work, but he hovered.

Revna pulled the blanket over herself and leaned back as Mike got up. She’d spent a lot of time with doctors over the years and more than her share in the last 18 months. But this was embarrassing. There was no doubt what she and Mike had been doing and that that was why she was having trouble catching her breath.

A few minutes later, Vo’tre said “That should suffice. The bronchiodialter will help your lungs stay at full capacity even as you tire. I recommend using it when you feel a drop in your ability to take a full breath. Otherwise, you are fine.” The two Medical officers packed up and left, and Mike looked at her and smiled.

She glanced at the hypo they left and sighed. She thought I was done with those things. She took another deep breath.

“Sorry, love. I guess I should sleep on the couch, huh?” and he winked at her.

Mike ‘I’ll Be Your Nordic Trak’ McKenzie

She smiled and her heart skipped a beat as he winked at her. “Those are fighting words, Mr. McKenzie. Get back over here.” She leaned back against him, closed her eyes and continued the breathing exercises. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry....that was the most embarrassing thing ever.”

Revna ‘Supplamental Therapy begins Tomorrow’ McKenzie

Mike slid into bed next to her and said “Oh… oh no, my love. Its not even in the realm of most embarrassing. I once split my pants on stage. At a charity show. For a zoo! And then when I tried to get off stage without flashing a bunch of zoo goers and fell right off the damn thing and into the orchestra. Broke the timpani and my arm. Thats embarrassing, wife. This? This is two people on their honeymoon.”

Mike ‘No Really. That Happened.’ McKenzie

Revna looked at him, trying not to laugh. More out of not wanting to call medical again than anything. “See that’s why you should just wear a kilt. Nothing to split that way.” She shook her head, “You know this is going in my permanant medical file right? That from now on every time I have to go to medical they’re going to ask me if my husband I have been behaving.” She shook her head and laughed just a little. “Cpt Jameson told me that respiratory therapy couldn’t prepare me for everything..... apparently he just meant you.” She laid there for a little while, pleasantly exhausted, but the mention of Jameson reminded her of that annoying nick name. “So…ummm…Mike there’s something I should probably tell you. It doesn’t actually affect us much, yet....you know my family owns and runs Edman Meadery. Well my Dad, he’s the Edman like the chief, and I’m his eldest.”

Revna ‘her father’s heir’ McKenzie

Mike laid back and stared at the ceiling, his arms under his head…

And he started laughing. Hard.

“Oh s#!+… you did not just tell me that. No no no no no no no no no…” and he kept laughing harder and harder.

Mike ‘Oh Honey If You Only Knew McKenzie

She waited, and waited, and he kept laughing…harder and she was starting to get concerned. “Mike....?” There really wasn’t a lot that was required of her, clan wise. She supposed she was expected to settle in the village eventually, and it had never been an issue because she wanted to. But if not Runa or Ragna would take over from their father. The irony of their situation wasn’t lost on her. But the more he laughed…without stopping…worried her that it was a precursor to something different. Especially with the rapid fire ‘no’s’. And she was too tired to sit up fully. “Mike, are you okay?”

Revna ‘I think I broke him’ McKenzie

It took Mike several minutes to calm himself. When he did, he looked at her and said “I need a drink. You want one, my Nordic Princess?” and he chuckled.

She really hated being called princess. Jameson had started the day she boarded Centurion. Said the way she braided and twisted the braids made her beads look like a crown. Then he’d found out about her Dad. And it never ended after that. But the way Mike said it was different. “Yeah I could use a drink.”

He slid out of bed, looked at her and said “Forgot our rule.” and promptly shed his clothes. He walked out of the room and down the hall yelling over his shoulder “Hey! Did they bri- oh, never mind. Found it!” There was a few moments of silence and Mike came back in with two glasses half filled with a golden brown liquid. He slowly climbed back into bed and sat next to her and said “You know that we are destined to be, don’t you? As in… neither of us can ever change our minds about us being together forever. The universe just won’t allow it.” and he handed her a glass.

Mike ‘The Prophets Have Spoken’ McKenzie

She took the glass and sipped it. No reason to make herself gasp for breath over a drink. Plenty of time for that later. “Yeah Mike, I’ve known that since our first date. What took you so long?” She was teasing him gently but there was something about the way he said it. She slowly pushed herself more upright, and then leaned back against the headboard.

Revna ‘The Norns are Laughing’s McKenzie

“The mead… right. But even more than that.” and he took a large drink and swallowed. “So… dammit, I had the perfect song to play to ease us into this talk, too… Anyways. So my grandma, the one you are pissed at, she is the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan McKenzie. She runs the Clan, thats her job. She is also nobility, Lady Tara McKenzie, and as such is subject to all these weird old laws and rules and stuff. Well, some of those rules pertain to heredity of title and inheritance and such, as one would expect.” He took another drink. “So my grandma had eleven kids. Four boys and seven girls. Of those, six are still living. The war took the rest. But one of these rules is pretty damn specific: nobel title and Chiefdom go hand in hand and can only be passed to the first born child.” He downed the rest of his drink.

Revna took a very slow breath, not because of their earlier exercises but because she knew what was coming next....

“So that was my father. But after his… I think one paper called it an ‘indiscretion of judgement’… that title and Chiefdom falls to his only child after grandma passes… me. And that’s where the family drama really starts to get nasty.”

Mike ‘Did I Forget to Tell You I Was Nobility?’ McKenzie

Revna blinked....she knew it was going to be something like that…she had just been waiting for him to say it…and that deep breath did NOT prepare her…she downed the whole glass. She needed another one. She couldn’t laugh…he’d already done that....Ragna was going to have a field day with the history search on this one…

She raised the glass to her lips but it was empty. “The family drama is about to get worse....you just married a…” She couldn’t say it. It was true but she couldn’t make herself say it. She started to get up, swayed, and thought better of it. She covered her mouth with her free hand, for lack of a better thing to do. “You....you are Lord....and you just married a Viking princess.” She started to laugh, but there was no humor in it at all. And it sounded strained and she made herself stop before it became hysterical. “The gods are laughing at us…”

Revna ‘What Have We Done’ McKenzie

Mike helped her adjust to a more comfortable position while only copping a few small feels and grinning, and then said “Be right back.” and ran to the other room and back, a sight in and of itself as he was following their agreed upon home dress code, bringing a bottle with him. He filled both glasses again and took a drink.

She settled back with his help and grinned after kissing him lightly. “You’re spoiling me, Mike.” It was a heady sensation. Revna watched Mike run back and forth, enjoying the view. It was just too bad they really needed to discuss this. She took the glass and downed a good portion of it.

“I don’t think they’re laughing, but they do have a hell of a sense of humor.” He took a breath. “So when Seamus said he was fighting for me… I’ve tried to abdicate that responsibility I don’t know how many times. Lady McKenzie won’t let me. I dont know why, but she wont. Seamus is also wanting me to take it, and as the Clan Sergeant-At-Arms his word carries some weight. Also… strapping in his kilt swinging that claymore around.” He looked at Revna and said “I’m really glad I met you first.” and he laughed.

Revna listened, really listened, and it made no sense, Tara’s behavior. She wouldn’t let Mike abdicate and she wouldn’t talk, see, receive letters from him. Guilt, so much guilt. Revna had seen it hundreds of times before. She laughed and leaned over and kissed Mike deeply. “It wouldn’t have mattered. I was made for you, and you sing. Doesn’t matter how good he is with that claymore.”

“Anyway… Seamus and Lady McKenzie have it in their head I’m next in line. But remember those other eleven cousins I mentioned? Yeah… they are a bunch of backstabbing, greedy, arrogant, self-enntitled pri#ks who find the idea of a musician… and a punk rock one at that… leading the Clan to be, as Anastasia put it last I saw her talk about it in public, ‘The height of classlessness and further indication of the failure of Clan leadership.’ But, for whatever reason, Tara won’t budge. She’s spent the last fifteen or so years digging her heels in and fighting them in court and society. Seamus backs her up as he can, but at the end of the day he is obligated to serve the Chief. And if one of our cousins manages to take it… then his life will be straight up hell. Thats the crap part. I dont wanna screw him over, he’s doing what he feels is best for the family and the Clan. He said I’m most qualified because I’m the one that doesn’t want it. No idea what that means, but there it is.” He took a drink and then looked at Revna.

She blinked, took another long pull off the glass. “First off I agree with Seamus. You don’t want it and that’s a big deal. Your cousins want MONEY and POWER. They will squander the clan money, savings, historical treasures, and when nothing else is left they will sell of the property and lands to continue their ‘life style.’ There will be slight differences in how each would go about it, but that will be the gist of it. They are narcissists, and I’m comfortable in making the generalization based on Seamus’ message and your description. And what kind of name is Anastasia anyway? Russian, so she can go walk off a plank into the North Sea. Actually.....that’s not a bad idea.” She was joking, sort of. But then she started to laugh, “Your cousins don’t know their own history do they? ‘Backstabbing, greedy, arrogant, self-entitled’.....sounds like we’re talking about English instead of red-blooded Scotsmen. Every Scott in history worth his hide was a punk rocker....They need a history lesson, and your grandmother needs to give them and ‘society’ a refresher.” Some half forgotten memory was niggling at the back of her mind but she couldn’t pin point it so she shrugged it off for another time.

“I should have told you before. I’m sorry. But I figured being so far out here they really could just forget about me and I could do what I want… which is just be with you.” And he laughed for a moment.

She hugged him, just to be close to him. “I’m glad I didn’t know because it doesn’t matter to me. And your cousins are idiots, your grandmother, well she needs help and we’ll find a way for her to have it. And Seamus…well we’ll just keep my sisters away from him and he might survive.”

“Thanks for screwing up my plan… Princess.” and he grinned and kissed her.

Mike ‘Here We Go… Again’ McKenzie

She hated that term or she used to, it was growing on her, maybe....”If you are very” kiss “very” kiss “nice, Mike,” kiss “one day I might put all that princess finery on for you.” She kissed him for a long time, the clans be d&^%ed for the moment. They could survive for awhile without them.

Revna ‘Princess’ McKenzie

Mike kissed her back and said “You put on a princess outfit for me and your lungs are gonna explode.” and smiled as their mouths met and he pulled back. “NO! DOWN! You gotta get some rest and recuperate. Besides, wife… we have to move ourselves in at some point, right?” and he pulled her close.

“How about a nap? Then breakfast, then we set up the bar.” and he settled in next to her and yawned.

Mike ‘I’m Just Resting My Eyes’ McKenzie

Revna could have attempted to argue, tease, or ‘convince’ Mike otherwise, but she knew in her heart, in her soul, she was not going to change his mind. She’d scared him, she hadn’t meant to, but she had. “Okay, okay!” she grinned, kissed his cheek, and curled her body next to him. She settled in such a way to make sure she didn’t cause herself to breath shallowly and concern him further. And then very suddenly, she was exhausted. “You’re.....right.........I’m really.......tired........” she mumbled, too tired to yawn or blink her eyes to try and stay awake. And then she was asleep.

Revna ‘His Lordship as made a Decree’ McKenzie

The sun shown through the windows, and the grass had dew on it. White clouds rolled slowly along the horizon; and just over the hill outside the fence the waves from the ocean rolled onto the rocky beach. A gentle breeze moved the grass in waves, and sheep dotted the landscape along the hills away from the sea.

The smell of hearty black tea hung in the air, as did the smell of toasted bread and honey. A deep voice said “Rev… Revna, love… time to wake up, Mrs. Mckenzie.” and the bed shifted very slightly and the sound of dishes softly rattling followed the voice. “C’mon, Sleeping Beauty, if I have to be up, so do you.”

Mike ‘Oh, Yeah. I Can Cook, Too.’ McKenzie