![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
charisstomaTitle: Battle of the Christmas Tree part 5: A Very Kitteny Christmas
Author: Meridae
Continues from Reasons - Part 4
Find the original posting of this chapter and comment HERE to Meridae
It had been an utterly exhausting day, Ranel thought as he collapsed warily onto the mound of pillows on his side of the bed. Full of family and fun, and love and laughter - strong reminders of how lucky he truly was - but exhausting none the less.
It had started early, of course, the kittens unable to stay in the basket even one minute longer once the sun had started creeping up over the horizon. So it was up early to open Christmas presents around the lavishly re-decorated tree, and then of course each present had to be tried out and compared, and Buttercup had to be reminded she was not allowed to intimidate her brothers into letting her have the first try of everything, and Albert and Ellis had to be separated after getting in a scuffle when they both wanted the pink mouse. Tux had to be encouraged to come forward and claim his fair share of the presents, and Nebbie had to be retrieved from various hiding places where he was trying to stockpile the food based presents for later consumption. And that was all before breakfast!
Christmas dinner at his parent's house had been even more frantic - more presents, then 12 over-excited kittens had turned into a whirling dervish of kitten tumble weed that rolled from one end of the house to another, destroying all that lay in it's path. Zech, thank goodness (and to everyone's suprise) had taken charge of the kitchen this year, and ran Operation Christmas Dinner with military precision, all and sundry being ordered to various tasks regardless of relationship, rank, or reletive power. Nobody had seemed to mind, though, especially when Zech had similarly ordered each of Ranel's siblings to pick a kitten to shepherd through dinner, which meant that each couple had one, and Papa Brian got a rest, which was good to see. After lunch, Papa Duke had stepped to the fore, and taken the kittens on an extended 'carnivorous rat hunt', sagely telling the kittens that there had been an infestation of said beasts reported, and only familiars were able to hunt them down and dispatch them. Three hours later twelve very bedgraggled and exhausted kittens - and one very smug Papa Duke - had returned, each triumphantly bearing the carcass of a 'carnivorous rat' (and Ranel just did not want to know . . . ) and full of stories about how brave they'd been. They'd been allowed to regale the adults with their tales of heroism, then Papa Duke had settled them down again by launching into tales of his own derring-do as a young adult.
The kittens had all submitted to a thorough grooming to correct their bedraggled state (and again, Ranel's siblings had aided the rapid dispatch of this task by shifting shape and taking a kitten in paw) before they snuggled up sleepily to one of the nursing papas (pretty much at random) to have a post-adventure afternoon suckle while Papa Duke spun his tales. That had pretty much put an end to the festivities for the kittens, and one by one they were picked up and deposited in the appropriate basket for easy and efficient transport home, and the adults had come together one last time for a light evening meal before dispersing to their respective abodes.
Exhausting!
Ranel allowed his limbs to flop where they would on the mattress. He didn't know where Warne was - in his study presumably, doing a late evening check of his missives. Ranel had barely had the energy to drag himself to the shower, and he hadn't bothered to put his pajamas on afterwards, instead sprawling on the bed still slightly damp in his robe.
Of course, that may have had as much to do with the hope that Warne would notice his dishebille and decide to press his more amorous attentions on his vulnerable and completely innocent husband . . . Hmmm, Ranel pondered. Might have to be a just a tad more disheveled for that to happen. Pulling the neck of his robe apart a little more, and sliding the hem up his thigh to expose the soft, smooth skin, Ranel settled down to wait for his husband to come to bed.
Continues HERE with Not a Kitten was Stirring
Author: Meridae
Continues from Reasons - Part 4
Find the original posting of this chapter and comment HERE to Meridae
It had been an utterly exhausting day, Ranel thought as he collapsed warily onto the mound of pillows on his side of the bed. Full of family and fun, and love and laughter - strong reminders of how lucky he truly was - but exhausting none the less.
It had started early, of course, the kittens unable to stay in the basket even one minute longer once the sun had started creeping up over the horizon. So it was up early to open Christmas presents around the lavishly re-decorated tree, and then of course each present had to be tried out and compared, and Buttercup had to be reminded she was not allowed to intimidate her brothers into letting her have the first try of everything, and Albert and Ellis had to be separated after getting in a scuffle when they both wanted the pink mouse. Tux had to be encouraged to come forward and claim his fair share of the presents, and Nebbie had to be retrieved from various hiding places where he was trying to stockpile the food based presents for later consumption. And that was all before breakfast!
Christmas dinner at his parent's house had been even more frantic - more presents, then 12 over-excited kittens had turned into a whirling dervish of kitten tumble weed that rolled from one end of the house to another, destroying all that lay in it's path. Zech, thank goodness (and to everyone's suprise) had taken charge of the kitchen this year, and ran Operation Christmas Dinner with military precision, all and sundry being ordered to various tasks regardless of relationship, rank, or reletive power. Nobody had seemed to mind, though, especially when Zech had similarly ordered each of Ranel's siblings to pick a kitten to shepherd through dinner, which meant that each couple had one, and Papa Brian got a rest, which was good to see. After lunch, Papa Duke had stepped to the fore, and taken the kittens on an extended 'carnivorous rat hunt', sagely telling the kittens that there had been an infestation of said beasts reported, and only familiars were able to hunt them down and dispatch them. Three hours later twelve very bedgraggled and exhausted kittens - and one very smug Papa Duke - had returned, each triumphantly bearing the carcass of a 'carnivorous rat' (and Ranel just did not want to know . . . ) and full of stories about how brave they'd been. They'd been allowed to regale the adults with their tales of heroism, then Papa Duke had settled them down again by launching into tales of his own derring-do as a young adult.
The kittens had all submitted to a thorough grooming to correct their bedraggled state (and again, Ranel's siblings had aided the rapid dispatch of this task by shifting shape and taking a kitten in paw) before they snuggled up sleepily to one of the nursing papas (pretty much at random) to have a post-adventure afternoon suckle while Papa Duke spun his tales. That had pretty much put an end to the festivities for the kittens, and one by one they were picked up and deposited in the appropriate basket for easy and efficient transport home, and the adults had come together one last time for a light evening meal before dispersing to their respective abodes.
Exhausting!
Ranel allowed his limbs to flop where they would on the mattress. He didn't know where Warne was - in his study presumably, doing a late evening check of his missives. Ranel had barely had the energy to drag himself to the shower, and he hadn't bothered to put his pajamas on afterwards, instead sprawling on the bed still slightly damp in his robe.
Of course, that may have had as much to do with the hope that Warne would notice his dishebille and decide to press his more amorous attentions on his vulnerable and completely innocent husband . . . Hmmm, Ranel pondered. Might have to be a just a tad more disheveled for that to happen. Pulling the neck of his robe apart a little more, and sliding the hem up his thigh to expose the soft, smooth skin, Ranel settled down to wait for his husband to come to bed.
Continues HERE with Not a Kitten was Stirring
