STF

Tomorrow, 2000, Holodeck 3. Dress warm. XOXO, Mike

Posted May 11, 2021, 12:23 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in Tomorrow, 2000, Holodeck 3. Dress warm. XOXO, Mike

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in Tomorrow, 2000, Holodeck 3. Dress warm. XOXO, Mike

Posted by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) in Tomorrow, 2000, Holodeck 3. Dress warm. XOXO, Mike
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
snip
If the slow pace bothered him, he didn’t show it. He walked next to her, hands clasped behind his back. “I’m glad you like it. Holo-programs are a hobby of mine.” he said without bragging. “As far as something about me? I grew up on the east coast of North America on Earth. Connecticut. My dad was a wine and spirits broker. My mom was a software designer. Apple didn’t fall too far from the tree there, I guess. We lived on the bay, and I learned to sail and fish. I spent almost every spare moment I could by or on the water.” and he looked out over the fjord and sighed softly. “So how much you want to know, Rev?” he asked, and turned to look at her. “Grav knows my history and I don’t hide it. But it ain’t pretty, at least until we get to the punk rock bartender part. ” and he looked at her and winked.

Big Mike

She stopped and turned to face him when he asked the question. Revna didn’t push, often. But now was the question now was, was had he asked her here as a person or as a counselor? “However much you want to tell me, Mike. But we both know that if you thought I was a fragile hot house plant you never would have bet me 2 dates.”
Revna

“Not quite a conversation for a first date… and I don’t want you on the clock.” he said and took one her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting it go. “So I guess it just depends on how much you want to get to know me. And you are far from a house plant. Fragile one or otherwise.” and he smiled at her and then turned and began, very slowly, to walk again.

Big Mike

Revna walked along silently next to him for a ways. “I grew up on Earth, on a small island, Bømlo, in the North Sea. We lived close to the land and the sea, doing things the old fashioned way, as it were. My mother was a teacher and my father mostly a historian, but, he and my uncle, own a brewery that produces the most incredible mead to be found. My uncle even makes a liquor that would knock the stoutest of drinkers on their backside.” It was quite the question he’d put to her, but Revna was always honest. “Under normal circumstances, Mike, I would very much like to know you, not just one small piece. But these are not normal circumstances.”
Revna

“Edman Meadery? That’s your family? Awesome. I love that stuff. Have four bottles at the bar.” he said with a smile and then the rest of what she said registered. He slowed and looked down at her and said “So what isn’t normal? The fact we are here because of a bet? I mean, I don’t wanna… but if you need or want to go, you can. I’m not gonna hold you to a date if you don’t want to do it. I’m not a complete ass.” and he smiled a half-smile. He didn’t want her to not want to be there, but if that was the case… no harm, no foul.

Big Mike

Something wicked and mischievous flashed across her gold and copper eyes, but she’d come back to that. “You don’t remember details do you Mike?” She grinned, because that wasn’t true, but she’d mess with him a bit. “Like I told Mardusk this isn’t the first time I’ve been bet to go on a date. No, Mike, if I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be.” She paused to breath, shallowly, “I leave in a week to rendezvous with the hospital ship Centurion. I’m scheduled for surgery. The outcome of which is highly uncertain.”

Mike nodded, but didn’t say anything. He just looked at her.

Then she turned fully toward him, measured steps walking the big man down. “Now we have a problem to fix. You have Edman mead in your bar,” she pointed a finger at him, “and I asked for something worth drinking. So either” she held up one finger and then another, counting off the scenarios, “you don’t understand the value of it, or you were holding out on me. Either way, Mike, you’re in trouble.” Her eyes flashed with humor as she stood toe to toe with him.
Revna

He looked down at her and smiled and said “I said I have four bottles at the bar. This morning I had six. So either…” and he held up one finger and then another, counting off scenarios, “… I do understand the value of but I am being selfish with it and keeping it to myself, or I forgot about it, or…” and he put his hands lightly on her waist and locked her eyes with his, “…I was saving such things for someone truly special and there are two bottles waiting for us at dinner..”

Big Mike

Revna grinned, “Freyr redd meg.” She didn’t move for a long moment holding his gaze and then with a sigh stepped back. “The mead can wait…for now.” She turned and began walking again, catching glimpses of the torches through the trees. “So why didn’t you become a salt water in the veins sailor, Mike? Or is that part of the too heavy conversation for a first date?”
Revna

He held his hands out to his sides and said “I am an open book if you wanna read it.” and he smiled and began walking beside her. “So my dad was a drunk. And a miserable piece of crap. And my mom, bless her, she was sweet but had no courage or self-respect. So he took out his miserableness out on her and me till I got too big. One day I fought back. I won… or so I thought. She threw me out while she sat next to him on our porch and put ice on his lip. Three days later he beat her to death. Hung himself before the cops got there. I was twelve. Lost everything, ward of the state… shipped off to a landlocked boarding school. Never got to sail again outside of a holo-simulator. So endeth the dreams of the sea.” and he shrugged. “But… I did discover music. And the fact that I was really damn good at it. So some good came from it, I suppose.” he walked along in silence for a bit. “So? Too heavy for a first date? Oh, and I just made an executive decision. You’re gonna be fine. With the surgery, I mean. So don’t stress it.”

Big Mike

Revna had heard similar stories, not discounting or belittling his struggle, but it always made her ache for the child involved. Mike was a grown man now, but that didn’t mean his struggle wasn’t horrible. The dependency of the abused on the abuser was a difficult cycle to break and even harder to identify if someone didn’t speak up and point a finger at it. It was a horrible situation however you looked at it. His story reminded her of why she’d gone into counseling to begin with, into pediatrics. And then her life had taken a path that wasn’t hers…

“I don’t think so. It’s truth, and truth is never too heavy. As for music, those with the talent are truly blessed. It’s primal and raw and beauty and passion. Music allows us to hear and see things that we can’t in the mortal realm.” There was a longing to her voice and a straining to her breath for a moment. “I’m so glad you’ve decided Mike.” She wanted to laugh, but that was physically beyond her at the moment. “But stress or not is no longer relevant. The surgery is no longer optional, so…” she shrugs. “What is your favorite genre of music other than punk rock?”
Revna

Mike was about to answer when he looked down at her. One of the advantages of having dealt with people in altered states of capacity, he could read people really well. So instead of answering immediately, he moved to her side and simply scooped her up off the ground and cradled her in his arms. “Shush. Enjoy the ride.” and he turned and headed back towards the torches.

Revna could honestly say being scooped up by Big Mike was not even on the list of things she expected. There was a soft gasp of surprise, but it hurt. She breathed, short shallow breaths till the ache eased. Did he really just ‘shush’ her? She’d laugh if it wouldn’t hurt so much. Oh that was fantastic. She grinned and made a zipping motion by her lips. Oh he’d be in so much trouble if she could breath right.

“I really dig old Earth American Country music. Its got some of the best lyrics ever. I also really like opera… from all over, not just human. I can play the piano and the steel guitar, too… so it translates really well. ” he said as his legs carried them over the shore towards the forest line.

Big Mike

She looked up at him from her very awkward position in his arms and made a rolling motion with her hand for him to keep talking. Her eyes danced with laughter. He told her to shush and so shushed she would stay…for the moment.
Revna

He smiled and said “I think music is the key to understanding people. If you listen to their music, their songs, then you can understand them of a fundamental level.” They moved down the torches lined path and deep into the woods, Mike talking about anything and everything he could. A few minutes later, they came into a clearing. “Know how you said my date set up wasn’t anything special?” and he looked down at her and smirked. “Well… let’s see what you think now.”

Revna shook her head her voice soft, “I did not. You asked if it had been that long since someone tried to impress me. I said no, just a while since anyone was origi....Oh…” Her gaze passed over every detail in silence.

The clearing was just wide enough for a long table adorned with traditional dishes and drink. The two bottles of mead were set in the center. The table had two chairs across from each other on the long sides. Each chair was wrapped in flowers and herbs that lent a soft aroma that smelled of spring and sunshine. But it was the lights that stole the show.

The aroma was a nice touch, in contrast to the frozen winter scene they had just been walking. As if they had sailed along the into the Summerland.

Small motes of lights danced through the air, and on closer inspection the light came from tiny glowing winged people…

Fairies.

No, not the Summerland. They’d passed into Álfheimr, that world of fairies on Yggdrasil, the world tree. She held out her hand and several landed there before taking off again. She tipped her head back watching them fly away. Her gaze feel back on Mike as he finally put her feet on the ground. “Mike, this,” she looked around again, “this is incredible.”

Mike set Revna near her chair gently and pulled it out for her. He poured a mug of mead and one of water and set it near her. A hand settled gently on her shoulder and he said softly “Let me know if you need to go. I can get you to Sickbay in a flash.”

Mike

Revna sat, surprised into near speechlessness. She squeezed his hand briefly and shook her head, “I’m ok.” She waited till he sat down and then lifted the mug of mead and inhaled. No. She inhaled again. That was Paannaaq in the mead. She shook her head. She sipped it, slowly. The higher light sweetness of Paannaaq, fireweed, carrying above the smoothness of the honey. She put the mug down and closed her eyes. No one should have this particular batch. It was meant to be consumed at one point, but not…not after…she didn’t think her heart could break again. But instead of grief, it was just bitter sweet. The universe was laughing at her. She opened her eyes and looked at the man across from her. “Mike, how did you get this bottle? It was never supposed to be sold, not this batch. There was a shipping mistake several years ago. I thought we got all the bottles back. Do you remember where you got it?” Her voice was soft, and there was a hint of old sadness to her voice, but not accusation.
Revna

Mike looked confused, but said “Ummm… yeah. I think so. It was probably… oh… seven or eight years ago, maybe? Somewhere around there… don’t remember exactly. Star Fleet guy. Said he was a fan and one of my songs ‘gave him courage’ or something. Gave me a case of twelve. Said it was a special batch and that it wouldn’t be made again. Told me to hold onto to it and only bring it out for someone truly special because that was who it was made for. Made me promise. So… I have 6 bottles in storage, 4 at the bar… and two here. Never actually thought I’d open one though.” and he smiled.

Big Mike

She picked up the bottle staring at it, at the label, A Paannaaq flower overlaid on the Edman crest. Devlin, it had to be. He was the only one who would do it. She put the bottle down and stared up the fairies. “Alright, Mike, some truth of my own. The man’s name was Devlin Mattsen. He was supposed to be my brother-in-law. This batch was made for me. To be consumed at my wedding. Shauwn died in the Breen attack on Earth.” She picked up the mug again and took a longer sip of it.
Revna

Mike looked at her for a long time, a plethora of emotions dancing through his eyes and across his face. “So… but… wait…” and finally he shook his head. “So this is your mead for your wedding and I just served it to you on our first date?” He looked at her with a blank expression for almost a minute before he laughed and then said “Oh, very smooth, Mike.” more to himself than to her. “Maybe for my next trick I move these plates and stuff and you see that the tablecloth is actually your wedding dress? That would just be the perfect end to an absolutely embarrassing momemt.” and he picked up the meade, looked at it, shook his head, and then grabbed the water.

Big Mike


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