Posted by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - An Unexpected Meeting
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She sipped the tea, not because she needed it but more to keep her hands busy. Finally she fixed her gaze on him. “Believe it or not I know that. The comment was completely out of character with your description of her and the woman I had spent the last hour talking to. Hence why I asked her to explain rather than doing something much more foolhardy. I like her. I could come to respect her.” She sipped the tea again and then set it aside. “It is a sh$& storm and terrifying and dangerous. There are worse things than physical and financial damage people like your cousins can inflict upon a child. Humor and laughter may be necessary. But she didn’t say it was jest..or how did she put it..hyperbole, she justified it. It wasn’t until she walked out that she said it was a poor hyperbole on her part.”
Ragna McKenzie

“And you were quick to judge, not so to accept. Even now you’re pissed. So you may wanna take a minute and think how your reaction didn’t help matters. And before ya go and get your knickers all twisted… I’m nae sayin’ it’s your doing. I think you both have some work to do on this.” and he sipped his tea and looked at her expectantly.

Seamus McKenzie

There were days Ragna hated being her. Today was going to be one of those days. Ragna, you need to think. Ragna try to see their point of view. Ragna stop and listen. Ragna think before you speak. Ragna it’s not all black and white. It would be nice if people would stop and actually listen to her rather than give her space to talk but never listen. Because of course she had a temper so nothing she said had value. Her point of view was different that didn’t make her or anyone else wrong, just....different. Yeah she judged but so did Tara, but she couldn’t say that because Lady Tara could do no wrong. “I’m not a child Seamus, and if you’re going to talk at me like I am you can stop taking me to your bed.” She was tempted to throw hot tea in his lap. “I don’t need you to point out what I did wrong I already came to that conclusion. You asked what was going on and I answered, I didn’t lie about it. ” She stood up moving to the sink. She began to cut a loaf of bread into small cubes. She mixed butter, rosemary, thyme, and mint with the bread. The knife moving with precision and speed that was probably dangerous. She rinsed the bird and cleaned the cavity before stuffing the bread mixture into the bird. She reached up, without looking and took the spit rod down off the rafter and with a deadly finality skewered the bird with it. She wrapped it twice at each end with twine and then set it over the fire.

She cleared and cleaned and washed. Yes she had a temper and she was mad, but was she yelling? No. Was she being unreasonable? She didn’t think so, but then everyone always said she was. She had a headache. Did she say what she was really thinking? That they were just as arrogant as they accused the ‘cousins’ of being? No she did not because that was her temper talking. Did she call Tara daft and feeble minded? No she did not. She didn’t believe that. Did she treated bodily harm or other injury like Tara did? No she didn’t. She tried to understand despite the offense Tara’s words caused. Then she grabbed a flat basket and went outside. She would have had the vegitables from the garden dug sooner, but she had been busy entertaining her Ladyship. As she knelt in the rich loam she heard the distant angry rumble of thunder, and she cursed.
Ragna

Seamus watched her angry clean and just shook his head. When she went outside, he finished his tea, cleaned and rinsed the cup, made sure everything was in order and then picked up his bow and hunting knife… again… and walked out of the house pulling his overcoat on. As he walked past her he said “I love you to the ends of the earth, Ragna. Never doubt that. And I respect you just as far. I dinnae talk to you like wee child… but now? Now you’re acting like one.” and he turned and walked backwards as he went down the path to the wilds. “Yeah, ya told me what you did wrong… an’ what herself did, too. But I nae see ya doing a damn thing to fix it. You’re both just stewin’ in your own mad.” As he got further away, he yelled back “One of ya gotta be the bigger woman, my love! The comm works, lass… use it! I’ll be back.” and he turned around waved over his shoulder and then dropped into the ravine and disappeared.

Seamus McKenzie, I Am NOT Staying For This Show

If he was trying to p!&s her off he was doing a good job of it. He told her to stop and think, but apparently she was doing that wrong too. Ragna knew nothing would be gained from reacting on her anger. Oddvar had taught her that anger could provide focus and passion and drive, but you had to own it not let own you. She tried to fix it, but Tara threw it in her face and walked out. Just like he was. Self preservation on his part. Be the bigger woman…stop stewing.. wasn’t trying…d@#n him. He walked in as she walked out, she hadn’t had a chance to try. But she did that wrong too. She didn’t say it because she never wanted to turn the full force of her temper on him. She would say things she didn’t mean.

The storm was rolling off the coast far away but she could feel it, the change in pressure the taste of the air was different. She looked up at the sky judging time and distance movement and speed. How long till it got there?

She got up and went inside and turned on the comm unit. It connected and Ragna gave her life up to the gods. “I won’t speak for Seamus but I won’t be coming. Until you get your high borne, entitled, over inflated rear end back here sans stick and resolve this as people and not titles.” And then she turned the comm off and went back to the garden.
Ragna McKenzie ‘No One Accused Me Of Tact’

Ten minutes later, as Ragna was bent over in the garden, a deep and decidedly male and not Seamus voice said “That’s what I love about this place…” right behind her.

“The view.” The speaker was a middle-aged man with sandy blonde hair and dark brown eyes. Almost as tall as Seamus, he was portly. He had the look of someone who may have at one time been muscular, but had let exercise fall by the wayside. He was dressed in a very expensive looking suit, and he wore a tailored overcoat and a cap with a large pheasant feather on the side. His eyes were most definitely not on Ragna’s eyes, but were instead focused much lower; a look of lecherous appreciation dancing in the smile he wore. “And who might you be, hmmm? Didn’t take Seamus for the plaything type… but kudos. He has taste, I see.” he said in a low rumble as his eyes looked everywhere but her face.

At that point, a low grunt came from behind the house and soon Angus emerged. His eyes locked on the man, but he didn’t charge. He shook his head aggressively and then moved slowly to in front of Ragna and lowered his horns, pawing softly at the turf.

If The Ram Don’t Like Him, You Best Be Careful

Now this Ragna understood, and she was decidedly terrified. It didn’t take much for her to know that this must be one of the cousins. And that this man recognized no rank but his own. She had a small hand held spade and a hand held hoe to work the garden, and her dagger. She was at the far end of the garden and between her and the house, where her sword was, was this man. Fat, out if shape, but with mass on his side. Lady McKenzie obviously was not coming and Seamus had left, angry at her, and there was no telling when he’d come back. She placed the knife back in her belt, placed everything in the basket, picked it up and stood slowly to her full height of 5‘10” and regarded him like a worm. Ragna knew she was in trouble and she needed to be very very careful. Forgetting the politics at play on this land, she’d seen men with that look before. It made her physically sick.

But there was faithful Angus. She didn’t touch the ram least he react before he was sure he could knock the man over. The truck of course was not to let too much away at the beginning. “Since you are at my home I suggest you mind your manners and introduce yourself first, questions after.” Seamus where are you?
Ragna