Posted by Civilian Revna Freya McKenzie (Diplomatic Attache) in Finding Company with Yourself

Revna wasn’t used to a lot of alone time. That wasn’t to say she didn’t make time for calm and for herself during the course of her day, but she was usually around people. Atlantis had been that way. There was always someone around. Mostly Runa. She missed her twin. During her ‘training’ for the diplomatic corp she’d had the chance to go home, for a day and see her family, her clan, but it wasn’t rejuvenating it was rushed and she’d been so sad. Ragna had made a trip to San Francisco to spend extra time with her. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her little sister. And then she was on a ship headed for the Delta quadrant. She missed the teasing and laughter. She missed ice-cream, popcorn, and movie nights, and despite her 38 years, spontaneous pillow fights that left them all gasping for breath and swearing they’d never do it again. She missed racing Runa across the shore on horseback, and Ragna besting her in a fencing match. She missed the smell of the soil and fresh air and bonfires and the sea.

But most of all she missed Mike. She ached because he wasn’t around, but she was okay. She was able to focus on her work and try to be as amazing at her new job as Mike said she would be, and then miss him like crazy when she was alone. She missed his warmth and the sound of his laugh and that way he winked at her. She missed the utter silence in the apartment when he was shut in his ‘music’ room, and the sound of his piano, and the way he made her tea, (That reminded her she was going to have to make sure to requisition whatever it was he used because the replicator stuff was just not bearable anymore). She missed sitting in bed, in his arms, and watching whatever they put on, or better yet, as he sang to her. Hmmm…or maybe when he ‘styled’ her hair. Most of all she missed the way he picked her up and held her while he kissed her.

She looked at her reflection in the window, “Girl you have got it bad and stop being maudlin. When you get home, you’ll get to enjoy all that again,” she chided herself. But even away from the station Mike made life amazing and better. He sent her music regularly - originals and covers. The music played constantly from her officer, the diplomatic conference room, her quarters. She made sure the volume never left the area, but the extreme eclectic nature of the collection drove a few crew crazy when they had to stop by and see her. There were a few, however, that came by simply to hear ‘Big Mike McKenzie’ sing - even if it was recorded.

But today she had no work, no reports to catch up on, no news feeds, no doctor or counseling appointments, no physical therapy exercises, no meetings. Just time for her. So she took a sketch book and pencils and found herself in the arboretum. She’d only been in here the night of the Black and Silver ball and it had been beautiful, but she hadn’t visited since. She entered looking around, it was truly impressive. Atlantis had had 3 arboretums, the main taking up a third of a whole deck and it wasn’t nearly this gorgeous. She wandered about, barefoot, until she found a plant she’d never seen before. She sat down on the ground, preferring that to a nearby bench and opened the sketch book and began draw the plant that had gotten her attention.

McKenzie, DA

Pretha had time off. Well, not really, she still had to do the rotation roster for this week. It was her job to take those given to her for her shift and spread them in the areas of most importance. And she had to see to it that the next training sim for CRIT was going to be ready on time for approval in a few days. Next week, all willing, it would be run.

Heading into the Arboretum, she had a PaDD in hand in she came around the corner and saw someone on the grass. From behind, she didn’t recognize the crewman so she coughed so she wasn’t sneaking up and smiled. “Forgive me… I hope I’m not intruding. I was going to sit over there on the bench.” She motioned to bench on the far side of the area of grass about thirty feet away and turned ninety degrees from facing Revna. “If it won’t be a bother?” She knew, even that far, some wouldn’t like the hovering so she was already mentally choosing where else to go in case this woman didn’t want her nearby.

Pretha
CRIT Ldr