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 James Sinclair in A Meal, A Hearth, A Home
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Mike looked at her quizzically. “Date four? Why, my dear Mrs. McKenzie… we are married. Married is one date. So I’m sorry, but you have another seven lifetimes with me before your dates are fulfilled… and you’re keeping the dress.” and he winked at her.

Mike ‘You Don’t Get Away That Easily’ McKenzie

Revna walked into the closet hanging the dress up carefully, way in the back. That was not going with her. She came back out and grinned at him. “Okay two things. First why do you need to borrow one of my dresses and two do I need to remind you of my vows, Husband?” Revna slid into his arms, all the love she felt for him in her eyes and the whisper of her voice. “Have you forgotten them and the fact I meant them with every fiber of my being, beat of my heart and every breath I take already? Every lifetime, every reality I will find you and choose you. You are everything to me.”

Revna ‘I said EVERY Lifetime’ McKenzie

“I better be. Because you are my everything and I honestly don’t know how I lived without you. Not as well as now, that’s for certain.” and he kissed her and then leaned back and stretched. “Did you say something about food? Because one, I’m starving. And two, the idea of you cooking in nothing but an apron is AWESOME.” and he laughed.

Mike ‘I Will Always Sing For You’ McKenzie

“I did say something about food. And I’m going to cook, but you,” she poked his chest playfully, “Are not off the hook. I still want to know why you need one of my dresses.” She kissed him and got up moving into the kitchen. The whine of the replicator could be briefly heard. An aquamarine apron appeared and Revna slipped it over head and tied it off at the small of her back.

“Computer play Revna 5” Music began to play in the kitchen and she sang along while she worked. Revna walked into the kitchen and over to the grill, she lifted the lid and watched as the burners on the grill turned on and then closed the lid allowing the grill to heat up. Not how she preferred to grill, but she wasn’t allowed to have a real bonfire in the middle of her living room. She washed and scrubbed two baking potatoes, punctured them with the tines of a fork, and then coated them in buttered olive oil and Himalayan sea salt. She wrapped them in foil and quickly placed them on the grill. Next she took out 2 prime ribeyes, beautifully marbled and a nice strip of white along the top. Revna created a savory rub of smoked paprika, dark brown sugar, onion and garlic powders, oregano, and coriander for a bit of citrus to the flavor. She worked the rub into the steaks and then set them aside to absorb the rub. She disappeared into the bedroom, and returned with an emerald green, velvet covered box. She opened it and took out two hand shaped banded onyx goblets. She set them inside the ice box to chill. She pulled a bottle of Dansk Mjod GI. Mead out of the wine drawer It was from Denmark, it was a metheglin, or spiced mead, made with Ginger and Hops. Big notes of ginger on the nose. On the palate, ginger meets honey with a dryish-hoppy finish - very warming.

Revna lifted the lid and placed both steaks on the grill, closing the lid, she watched the timer and after two minutes she flipped them, getting a nice even sear on both sides. She flipped them again, 2 times each over the next 7 minutes, and then removed them from the grill and let them set and breathe. Another two minutes and she removed the potatoes, turned off the heat and then plated everything, and set it on the table. She smiled as the next piece began to play. She walked back down the hallway and stood in the door way, breathing him in, and began to sing to him.

Water towers are made for hearts and names
Friday nights are made for football games
Fallin’ leaves are made for fallin’ in
Front porch steps are made for goodnight kissin’
And I was made for you, yeah I was made for you

Summer jobs are made for spendin’ cash
Second dates are made for goin’ fast
Early curfews are made for sneakin’ past
Two AM was made for pissed off dads
And I was made for you, yeah I was made for you

Oh like a ship without a sea
Or a song without a melody
I don’t know where I’d be or what I’d do
‘Cause I was made for you

Smoky bars are made for “How ‘bout a dance?”
Open roads are made for holdin’ hands and
Laid back seats are made for young love
Two pink lines are made for growin’ up
And I was made for you, yeah I was made for you

Like a ship without a sea
Or a song without a melody
I don’t know where I’d be or what I’d do
‘Cause I was made for you

Tiny shoes are made for tiny feet
My two arms are made for where you sleep
Sky was made for the moon and stars
You were made to steal my heart
And I was made for you, yeah I was made for you*

Revna ‘You Gave Me Back Music’ McKenzie (with special thanks to Jake Owen)

Mike lay in bed, hands behind his head and watched her in the doorway. He smiled as her voice filled the room and filled him. When she had finished, he looked at her and said “New plan. You sing. I’ll diplomat.” and he looked at the apron over her skin and smiled even more. “You know you are spoiling me, right?” and he grinned and patted the bed next to him…

Mike ‘Let Dinner Get Cold’ McKenzie

Revna walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. “You keep saying that but I don’t see you running to talk to the ambassador.” She grinned, teasing. She glanced down at the apron and shrugged, “Wife’s prerogative, I can spoil you if I want too.” She leaned over, resting against his chest while she kissed him. Then she stood up, tugging his hand, pulling him out of the bedroom, down the hallway and towards the table, her eyes never leaving his. “You have to at least try it. And if we actually make it through a whole meal, I’ll put the whole princess getup on for you. And you can see if you can explode my lungs.” She went into the kitchen taking the goblets and mead to the table, handing Mike the bottle to open and pour.

Revna ‘Do We Have A Deal?’ McKenzie

“Now thats a deal, wife of mine.” Mike said as he opened and poured with an efficiency bourne of practice. “Do I have to use a fork? It will really slow me down…” and he looked at her and grinned, his eyes roaming over the parts of her the apron didn’t cover. “My god, woman… How did no one ever scoop you up and take you away? You are the single most incredible looking, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing thing is all of creation! And that apron is a good look…” and his eyes widened and he looked at her and grinned and said “Apron Strings and Heart Aches… that’s the name of my next song for you.” and winked as he pulled out her chair. “Wife…” and he gestured to the chair.

Mike ‘She Really Is Only Wearing The Apron… Wow’ McKenzie

She grinned, “No, you don’t need a fork, Mike, I just put it on the table to look pretty.” She laughed, honestly though…”I mean watching you tear into a piece of meat with nothing but your teeth might be something to see. Klingon’s would love it. You’re getting the hang of this diplomat thing.” She sat, but not before a shy blush had her reaching for the mead and taking a long drink. She knew he meant every word, but it never hurt to hear him say it. “Because I was made for you,” she squeezed his hand, “You can write songs after, Now eat. Nothing worse than cold steak. And if it’s bad you’re just going to suck it up and tell me it’s good.” She speared the potato with her fork and broke it open.

Revna ‘You Say the Best Things’ McKenzie

“Wife of mine… I can literally do both.” and he winked as he poked a line of holes in the potato and then squeezed it open. “Perfectly done… I guess you can stay. Still have to see about the steak, though.” he said as he salted and buttered the potato. While the butter melted, he carefully and dramatically cut a piece of steak and held it up as he pretended to asses it as if it were a rare gem. “Char… enough, but not too much. Color… nice red on the inside with a solid darker ring around it. Taste…” and he slowly took a bite and looked at her with narrowed eyes as he slowly chewed the piece. “Taste is… we’ll say ‘adequate’.” and the he smiled and winked. “My love… that is fantastic. Never had brown sugar on a steak before, but I dig it. Well done indeed, Mrs. McKenzie. You may stay.” and he inclined his head in a mock-bow and then laughed.

Mike ‘You Make It Easy To Be With You” McKenzie

Revna grinned but steadfastly stared at her food because if she had to watch him wink at her through the whole meal, they would never finish the meal. Revna laughed, not having been worried in the least that he would like it, but he really had to stop winking…she grinned and pointed a finger at him. “I know what you’re up to, Husband, and you’re going to have to do a lot more than wink at me.” Maybe…probably not, she would just have to not look at him. And that was hard…Mike was extremely attractive and she was not ashamed to do her share is staring. She grinned and after finishing a few bites. “You know we need to do something to ‘thank’ the ambassador for the change in accomodations.” For the most part though Revna was very focused on finishing her food before they both got distracted, again.

Revna ‘My Turn To Stare’ McKenzie

“Well, I have an idea.. but it would involve that dress again.” and he winked and then laughed and said “Oh, right… The Ambassador.” He sighed around a bite of steak and then shrugged and said “Dinner here? Kinda a ‘getting to know you- slash- thanks for the digs’ kinda thing? I got a few bottles of wine that’ll do, and we can serve vegetarian dishes since he’s Vulcan…” and his eyes roamed her apron-only clad body and he groaned slightly. “Rev… baby… that is just hot. And wholly unfair if you want us to finish this meal.”

And he winked again.

Mike ‘And She Cooks Too’ McKenzie

“I can send him an invitation tomorrow.” Revna turned several shades of red. “You’re the one who suggested it Mike. You only have yourself to blame. But if I am so very distracting to you…” She got up and opened one of the crates and took a blanket and draped it over herself. Then she tossed one at him as she resumed her seat, “You can cover up too. Now if you can refrain from winking at me we might actually finish.” She grinned at him and winked. Then taking a sip of her mead she proceeded to make quick work of the rest of her plate.
Revna ‘I Can Play Fair’ McKenzie

Mike draped the blanket casually around him and then raced her through the rest of the meal. Evrytime he caught her eye, he winked and smiled. As he finished the last bite, he looked at her and said “So, wife of mine and love of my life… whatever shall we do now?” and he winked at her.

Mike ‘Its All In The Wink’ McKenzie

Mike’s antics kept a delicate blush on her skin, butterflies in her stomach, and little electric shocks going down her arms for the rest of the meal. “Well I do believe I owe you the other half of our deal.” She stood up and kissed his cheek. “It will take me a bit.” And she disappeared down the hallway.

A delicate copper circlet sat low coming to a point in the center of her forehead between her eyes. At the center most point was a fine filigree working of the Edman crest with the symbol for Freya to the bottom left corner. The rest of the circlet was intertwined with small delicate flowers of gemstones and fine wire. Her hair was braided in tiny braids starting just below where the circlet ended and wove back along her scalp and then her hair was gathered into bigger and bigger braids, the copper rune beads polished and flashing in the light. But less than half were there. Despite each being on separate braids they came together closely as if spelling something: an eight letter word.

A 1000 thread count heavy linen underdress hugged her figure, split neck opening, full length sleeves, and a skirt that flowed out from the flair of her hips and pooled like the fjord’s of the North sea. And like those fjord’s it was the same deep shimmering cobalt blue of the sea on a clear night with a full moon. Over that was a formal apron dress. Meaning that it was a complete piece, rather than 2 panels, that started just above her bust line and wrapped around her under her arms, hugged her curves to just above her hips and then flared and swirled downward. Ending two inches above the hem of the underdress. This deep wine piece was made of a lightweight woolen velvet. The straps, an inch and a half wide, reached from the back of her shoulder blades to the front, and were pinned in place by turtle brooches. The brooches were very very old. They belonged to one of her ancestors, along a long and faded lineage but there nonetheless: Gunnhildr konungamóðir, mother of kings. The design was of Yggdrasil, the world tree, with Freya’s symbol etched into the middle of the trunk. Three strands of beads hung connected in layers to the broaches. The top and bottom chains were made of yellow and brown gemstones and burnished gold hand forged beads. The middle row had turquoise and aqua colored gemstone with hand forged silver beads. Then the whole thing was brought together by a dark blue with light blue and white accents woven belt. The belt wrapped her waist twice, ended in a simple half hitch knot and the tassels reaching almost to the hem. And because she promised the full effect, linen stockings and hand crafted supple leather shoes, lined in soft sheepskin, and laces that criss-crossed around her ankle and halfway up her calf. The only other piece of adornment was the twisted gold braid Mike had put on her left ring finger.

She took a very deep breath, she hadn’t worn any of this in a very long time, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She actually checked herself in the mirror. If it had been anyone else in that room waiting for her, she wasn’t sure she’d go through with it. She was nervous. But she had absolute faith that when she walked out there Mike would see her and not what she was. And even at her age she felt giddy and on cloud 9 at the idea of being Mike’s princess. With another deep breath she walked down the hall, and she entered the room in a swirl of wine and cobalt, floating, not even gliding, to the center of the room and turned a full circle for him, hands out to her sides, before coming to a pause.
Revna ‘Nordic Princess’ McKenzie

Mike stared, open mouthed, as she came into the room. He didn’t speak for a long time, just stared at Revna in amazement. Finally gathering himself together, he slowly stood up and moved to her, setting his hands very gently on her hips. He stared down at her and smiled.

“Clothes and crown aside… you are still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life.” and he bent down and kissed her softly, gently, as if relishing even the slightest touch of the vision before him.

Mike ‘I Have No Words’ McKenzie

Revna stood there while Mike stared at her not saying a word. He was quiet long enough to make her more nervous. She was proud of her heritage, but she always felt edgy when wearing this. Maybe because she felt the weight of responsibility and significance from it. She smiled up at him, the gentle weight of his hands warm and soothing to her nerves. But the way he looked at her sent her pulse racing.

She smiled and whispered against his lips, “You make me feel that way.” Her lips met his softly, the heat of his body seeping into hers. Her hands gently feathered over his forearms, up across the curve of his shoulder and met behind his neck. She sighed moving closer, intoxicated by the gentle way he was holding and kissing her.
Revna ‘The Way He Looks At Me’ McKenzie

Mike slowly and gently scooped her up in his arms, cradling her against him, his lips never leaving hers. As they moved slowly down the hall, Mike opened his eyes and looked at her, breaking the kiss long enough to smile and say “Tell me you love me, Revna McKenzie. Tell me I am yours forever.” and he stepped up the single step to the side of their bed and then slowly set her feet on the ground.

Mike ‘This Is Where It’s ALL At’ McKenzie

Revna, cradled in his arms, looked up at him, her eyes unfocused, dilated and full of love and passion. “I love you Michael Angus McKenzie. You are mine, the other half of myself, as surely as I belong to you. From now and past the end of eternity.” Revna kissed him again as she’s pressed close as he slowly lowered her to her feet. Her kisses trailing down his neck to the soft spot below his ear. Her voice fluttered and teased against his skin, “I can’t breathe without you, Mike. There is no life in my universe without you. I ache, and I’m alone and cold when you’re gone. You give me life and breath, and warmth, and music. I hope I give you even a fraction of those things because I would give all that I am and all that I have, my life and my soul, to make sure you are as happy as you make me.” And then she kissed him again, hands in his hair pulling him down closer to her.
Revna ‘You Are Everything’ McKenzie

As she pulled him down, he said “You give me life, Rev. One I never knew was even possible. And you make me happier than you will ever know.” As she kissed him, his hands began exploring, unknoting and unclasping and unbuckling as they wandered. A sense of urgency came through his kiss, and his breathing more intense. “I love you, Revna… always.” he whispered as the last of the regalia fell to the floor. He lifted her up and to him, kissing her with a drive and desire he had only allowed glimpses of previously. This was his time to give himself completely and without reservation to her…

Mike ‘We Are Everything’ McKenzie

He kissed her, and Revna breathed him in, the taste, smell, and feel of him. She met his urgency and intensity with her own. Her breath harsh as if she couldn’t quite catch it matched his, her pulse racing to the same beat of his own. “I’ve always loved you, Mike. From the moment I fell into your green eyes over that shot of Napoleonic brandy, I knew.” She wrapped her arms around him, “And I’ll never forget.”

The alarm started buzzing softly and Revna threw a pillow at it, but of course that didn’t work. “Computer turn off the alarm.” But it kept going, “Computer what is that?”
“Incoming Priority message from Ragna Edman.” Revna sat up quickly, drew her robe on and hurried out to the desk to accept the message. On screen was a younger woman, obviously an Edman, but unlike Revna’s copper blonde hair, this woman had beautiful, longer than believable, white blonde hair. And it was obvious, to Revna, she’d been crying, a lot. “Ragna, baby, what’s wrong?”
Revna ‘Reality Strikes Again’ McKenzie