Posted by Civilian Michael ‘Big Mike’ McKenzie (Clan McKenzie Chief) in New Clan New Beginnings

Posted by Civilian Revna Freya McKenzie (Resident) in New Clan New Beginnings

Posted by Civilian Michael ‘Big Mike’ McKenzie (Clan McKenzie Chief) in New Clan New Beginnings
Posted by… suppressed (24) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
He looked at confusedly for a second and then grinned. “I was talking to Lilly, goofball. You are stuck with me for the foreseeable future, sorry.” and henlaughed and moved out if the bedroom and into his studio. He looked around and took a breath. “Nope… movers can deal with this.”

Mike

Her laughter followed him out of the room. Revna put the last of what she wanted in the chest and closed both. She went into the spare bedroom looking for a particular crate. Weaving through the crates she flipped the lid. It was a special crate, built by Oddvar for storing a d transporting their weapons. Revna’s bow and arrows were already in there. She went into the living area where mounted on the wall were a b@stard sword, a claymore, and her shield. She carried the smaller sword and shield into the room and secured them in the crate. “Mike, you wanna pack your claymore yourself?”

“AYE!” he bellowed from the front of the apartment.

“I’m done, packers can do the rest. Now I am taking a shower and a really long hot bath. If you don’t join me I will be very disappointed.”

Revna

“In a minute!” he yelled. “I’m trying to make sure we have all the diplomatic gifts and such cataloged and ready to be packed up! Shower and I’ll see you in the bathtub!”

Mike

Revna paused and turned around, blinking almost owlishly back down the hallway. Did Mike just say he was cataloging diplomatic gifts? She wanted to ask who he was, where he punk rocker husband went and what would spiked mohawk wearing Bubba say about that? But no comment came to mind.

She was tired. How long had it been since she collapsed in the bed and Mike told her to get naked or help pack? She glanced at the clock and decided it wasn’t worth the effort of the mental math. Her clothes left a short but direct trail into the bathroom. The shower was refreshing but the bath…oh this bath she was going to miss. She sank into the deep hot water that teased the nose with a hint of Jasmine oil. She put her head back and closed her eyes.

Revna

The splash was epic. The amount of water that left the bathtub made the automatic refill shoot on,and rivulets of water cascaded down the mirror to join the numerous puddles on the floor. Mike surfaced from under the water of the giant soaking tub and laughed loudly. “Holy crap but you were asleep.” he said with another laugh. “I told ya to wake up or I was gonna do a cannonball… so this is actually your fault.”… and more laughter.

Mike

Revna was literally floating in intoxicating warmth and soft silence. Completely unaware of of anything but sleep. Then she was not. Jostled wildly by the sudden significant displacement of water over her, away, and splashing back down. A mouthful of water and the sudden disappearance of all that decadent warm water woke her. For half a second, less really, she was cold and couldn’t breathe again. She couldn’t breathe. Mike? Where was Mike?....he was laughing… Then she realized she was coughing and sputtering. There was nothing wrong with her lungs. Coughing would work better if she wasn’t floating on her back. She dropped her feet and sat on the edge of the tub, until the fit passed. “My…cough…fault?” Her breath heaved a few times as she shook her head. “I didn’t think there was any way for you to wake me up I would not like. I now have a list of 1.” She cleared her throat one last time and mock glared at him, even as the corners of her mouth twitched. She kicked a spray of water at him (pathetic really, as the water hadn’t refilled), but it more made a tiny ripple in the water.

Revna

Mike laughed and said “Well, at least it was effective.” and he laughed again. It took only a couple of minutes for it to refill with hot water, and the entire time Mike chuckled and teased Revna about her ability to swim. “I suppose I should really shut up, though. I know from experience that your breath control is amazing.” and he gave her a wicked look.

Mike

Revna lowered herself back into the water and moved toward him until she had her arms around him, pressed in close, her gaze just as wicked. “You should have known me before I got hurt.” She started to kiss her way up his neck, pausing to whisper in his ear. “Maybe you should help me with some of my breathing exercises.” She had finished respiratory therapy but it never hurt to keep practicing. And practicing with Mike was always fun.

Revna

Mike grinned and said “Anything yo keep you healthy, my love.” and he kissed her and then whispered “Let’s see how much water we can splash outta here together…”

A few hours later…

Mike handed Revna a glass of water and said “Gods above… I’m glad we have a private ship for the trip. We’d annoy the hell outta people if we didn’t.” and he laughed. He looked at the chronometer and said “Four days to go, by the way.” and he looked at her and said “You ready to be a retired diplomat and full-time clan babysitter?”

Mike

Taking the glass Revna grinned, “They would just be jealous. But I am looking forward to having 3 months to ourselves.” She drank before continuing, “I am so far beyond ready, Mike. It was an amazing experience, but I am ready to just be Revna McKenzie, your wife and help you babysit our clan.” She grinned, it was huge what they were doing, but she felt without a doubt this was what they should be doing. “What about you? You ready to be stuck with family and clan 25/7 from now on?”

Revna

He grinned. “Im ready to be stuck with you like that, for sure.” and he took a drink. “And it’ll be good to be around family, I think.” He laid back and thought for a moment. “I am curious as to how this’ll turn out, though. And we still don’t know how many of the clan are coming. Wjat if only a handful come? We have a shit ton of work ahead of us. We need the people. And I’m wondering how the colony will recieve us. We’re all human… they could see us as racists right off the bat.” and he sighed. “Well, Coryn did marry that Vulcan… whatshisname… V’led. But they’re on Vulcan.” He stared at the ceiling for a minute. “We’ll just haf’ta make sure the clan sponsors some programs to ensure we are ingrained in the community from jump. Lotta immigration into Oed right now. I bet we can get some housing and social programs going. Wonder how the government would feel about that?”

Mike

“Well that is why we have that call with Runa and Capall later to see who is coming.” Revna thought about it for a minute. “Everything I have read indicates the governor is very open to such initiatives. As long as they are well planned out and realistic and not some wishful thinking. Putting those initiatives in place would also help provide jobs, for the clan but others as well. Ragna and I talked about that with the meadery. It is our clan’s name and our history, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hire others.”

“We, the whole clan, will be busy for awhile setting up our own necessities, but I think it is important they are encouraged to go out and find jobs elsewhere, to become part of the community. If they open businesses to hire more than clan members. You should consider opening a Mike’s Place on Oed.”

Revna turned her whole body to look at him. “So there is one initiative I want to consider. It’s one of those things that only people who need to know will, so it won’t necessarily help us integrate into the colony.” She took a drink and the turned to set the glass down. “When we went to Earth I didn’t get to show you this. So…you know through my mother I have royal lineage. Well because you married me you will inherit a piece of land through my father that makes you a prince.” She held up her hand, “It’s an law that carries no weight now, but it’s tradition. The land as part of royal holdings centuries ago. It was mostly used to allow farmers and herders to use or laid empty. When dad inherited it he rented out pieces of it to whoever had a need. Until we girls grew up. We call it The House and it’s a refuge. Battered spouses, kids, elderly; displaced soldiers and veterans; the disabled; anyone that doesn’t have a safe place to call home. We have even housed a few protected witnesses over the years. They have sort of made their own clan at this point. We supported them a lot for awhile and now they are almost completely self-sufficient. I want to build a House on Oed.”

Revna

Mike stopped what he was doing and thought for a moment. “Well… historically the Lady would have projects of her own as well as the Chief. So there’s precedence. And you’ll need your own things. Me too. So why not? You definitely have the knowledge and ability to do it right. I say go for it.” and he grinned and said “You do that, and I’ll start a music school. How’s that for a deal?”

Mike

Oh it was a project all right, and it would take a lot of moving parts and networking to make it successful. The clan had the resources to support it, but to make it available to those that needed such a place was the tricky part. She and her sisters had made it happen once before, they would do so again. Kirsten and Ada would certainly insist on helping.

“A music school?” Revna thought about all those drawings in Mike’s studio from the kids on Atlantis and grinned. “I like it. As long as you don’t get so sick of it you forget to sing for me.” She laughed before she leaned over and kissed him. “So we know what we shall do for ourselves, what are we going to do for us? It’s very easy to get lost in all the responsibility. I love our clan Mike, but it isn’t worth if it if we lose sight of each other.”

Revna

He laughed and said “For us? Doll, have you already forgotten?” and he walked towards her and put his hands on her hips and smiled down at her. “We gotta build our home, baby. From the ground up. I think that’s gonna be quite the project for us.”

Mike

“Oh I haven’t forgotten. Part of all those necessities I mentioned earlier.” Revna’s hands rested over his and then slowly slid up the length of his arms and smoothed over his shoulders. “Oh, you said home not house,” she grinned, “Now that is a project that will make me forget all my other responsibilities.” Then she yawned loudly, “But I swear if you don’t let me get some sleep there is no telling what weird convoluted ideas I might come up with.”

Revna

He grinned and said “Well, go to bed then. But remember the rules.” In a matter of moments he had slid and pulled off every bit of covering she had on; and then he lifted her up off the floor and tossed her on the bed. He pretend dusted off his hands and said “And one less thing to pack.” He laughed and turned and walked out the door.

Mike

Revna landed with a laugh. She was going to have to pad the floor of their new home if he kept tossing her around like that. She seriously considered telling him she expected him to get into the bed with her. She knew if she did, she would never get any sleep.

Revna slept deeply and for hours. She didn’t even dream, nor did she move. So when she woke up, she would have rathered gone back to sleep. She had a painful crick in her neck, an unwelcome reminder she didn’t move at all while she slept. She groaned loudly, muttered something, then put a hand around the back of her neck as she rolled over.

“Tea…I need tea…” She kicked the blanket off her feet and sat up and her whole body shook as a cold chill chased down her spine. “And a warm robe.” She stood, slipped her robe on and wandered down the hallway to the kitchen.

Revna

The hall was empty. The living room was empty. The studio and kitchen were empty. Gone. Everything was gone…

Except Mike.

He stood in the kitchen with a glass of mead and a smile on his face. “Good thing you woke up, lazy-ass. They’re coming back for the bed in an hour.” He went to the replicator and hot her a cup of tea and set it on the counter. “You were tired. Fourteen hours you’ve been out.”

Mike

Revna didn’t say anything, she wrapped her hands around the cup and took a sip and made a face. Between Mike and Harv, Revna had only had real honest to gods tea in 18 months. She was a snob. That was not tea, but she drank it anyway.

“14 hours?” She sighed and scrubbed her face with her hands, “Yeah I was…aww crap did I miss the call with Runa and Capall? Mike, I’m sorry. You should have woken me up.”

“Nope. Handled. And there is gonna be a crap ton of folks coming, apparently. Whole colony ship is being prepped. Should leave Earth in about two months. It’ll get there a month after we do. So we will have to hit the ground running. But Seamus sent word. They are two weeks out. So we’ll have Clan leadership on the ground then, and that’ll help.”

Revna nodded, trying to get her tired brain to jump start. “What about the dome? Or is that just for Seamus’ work? I can’t remember,” she rubbed her hand across her forehead. “The colony ship will have materials for temporary housing, but if we could have some permenant structures…I know Seamus has his new position to start, but Ragna could over see that. If we could use colonial businesses for some of that, it might help with what you were talking about earlier.”

More importantly, “What are we sleeping on the next 2 nights?”

Revna

He grinned and said “Hotel. Penthouse suite. I figured we’d make our last couple’a days on Event Horizon memorable. Plus it saves us from havin’ ta cook and deal with last minute shit. The ship docked about six hours ago, too. All our travel stuff is gettin’ loaded tonight. I’ve got a few changes of clothes for the blbext few days, and then we are off.”

Mike

Revna drained the tea. “I better grab a bag then and put on more than a robe. We might have e our rule but I’m not walking out that door without clothes.” She went back into the bedroom and tossed her case from the bathroom, with her beads, in a bag along with a couple changes of clothes. She slipped on one of the navy blue dresses Mike had bought for her before she left on the Manhattan. She set her bag down in the living room and looked around. Memories of their first week there playing through her head. “Aww hell, Mike, I gotta go to sickbay. We’re gonna be on a private ship for 3 months. Unless you want me to stop taking my contraceptives.”

Revna

Mike said “How about one major life event at a time, huh? Besides, I don’t know a while lot about space travel but I do know pregnant women hate dropping out if warp.” and he made a pantomime of the most confusing about of nausea ever portrayed.

Mike

Revna chuckled, “I think not. Dropping out of warp is easier than riding out a storm on the North Sea. Edman women don’t get motion sick, pregnant or not.” She turned and winked at him, “We just get sick over everything else. So a trip to sickbay is in order then. I don’t relish landing on Oed and adding that to everything else.” She picked up her bag. “Alright, so I you wanna deal with sickbay or the movers? Then meet at the hotel?”

Revna

“Go and do your thing. I got the movers. We’re already checked in. Room is ready. Top floor, door on the left.” and he drained his drink and stood up straight. “I’ll grab lunch for us on the way over. I’ll get sandwiches from that spot you like in the Galeria.”

Mike

“Mike, you spoil me.” Revna hugged him for a long moment. Simply enjoying the luxury of being able to, to not having to rush to take care of anything. She kissed him and then stepped away. “See ya in a bit.” Revna left making her way to the medical bay. It was busy. She told the nurse what she was there for and then had a seat.

It was almost an hour and a half later when Revna finally made it to the ambassador hotel. The private ship would have most basic medical supplies but Revna made sure she had her contraceptives, a bronchiodialator just incase, and an immunosuppressive just incase something went wrong. After almost two years she was almost past the point of concern, but it never did to tempt the gods.

She took the lift to the top floor and turned left and entered the penthouse sweet. The first thing she noticed was the view. Half the windows faced open space and if her orientation was correct, the wormhole as well. The other half faced the Garden at the top of the station. An outdoor view of nature inside a space station was impressive.

Revna

Mike came out of the bedroom and said “I guess they’ll just let anybody in this joint. But if you are the escort I requested to accompany me for dinner… the concierge has great taste.”

Mike

Revna turned and looked at him. “Oh the concierge didn’t send me.” She started walking towards him, setting her bag down as she passed a chair. “I heard there was a famous musician up here, and I am such a fan, so,” she gave a flirtatious shrug, “I snuck up here.” She put her arms over his shoulders, leaning in.

Revna

He laughed and said “Well you better get outta here before my wife gets here. ‘Cause she will mess you up, tryin’ ta put the moves on me.” and he smiled and kissed her. “Oh wait… it is you. And gere you tried to play the ‘groupie’. You’re too classy for that.”

Mike

“Well we better make it quick before she gets here.” Revna kissed him back, smiling, “I’ll take lessons from Runa on how to be a convincing ‘groupie’. Something about tossing bras at you.” Revna laughed. She was never going to let her sister live that down. “So you wanna start with sandwiches or desert?”

Revna