14650/A very Miller family Christmas (pt 2)

A very Miller family Christmas (pt 2)
Date of Scene:	01 January 2023
Location:	Aspen, Colorado, United States
Synopsis:	It's the season for giving, and gifts are exchanged around the breakfast table in the Miller household... eventually.
Cast of Characters:	Jax Miller, Kit Killovarras

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Jax has posed:
It's that most magical time of the year. It's far too early for carols to be a-singing and even here on the snowly slopes of Aspen there are no sleigh bells a-ringing, but it's a beautiful morning nevertheless. The party last night ran into the early hours, to that time of day when it's so late it's early again, after which all the Uncles and Aunts eventually left in ones and twos, invariably driven by the people who had their own private (and far more civilised) party in the kitchen. A few, being here by themselves, end up being driven to their hotel by waiting chauffeurs. It was that kind of party, after all.

Morning is now threatening over the slopes and thus, by extension, over the house on Ute Avenue. Last night the view was spectacular, but this morning it's breathtaking... from the windows at the back of the house, and there are many, there is an unrivaled view over the slopes of the Aspen ski club and further down the valley. It is indeed a magical place.

At this time of morning, delicious smells are starting to waft up from the kitchen, enticing even the most tired from their repose. Except perhaps Jax, who is utterly dead to the world at a time this low in the AM range.

Down the stairs, these smells promise, delicious breakfast awaits...

Kit Killovarras has posed:
There are a few perks to being a polyphasic sleeper, one of those being that Kit would be awake at this hour. He's often awake before dawn and has made it a habit a long time ago to watch the sunrise whenever he can, but today he's content with the views; both the one out the window and the one beside him.

He gives the sleeping feline a glance and a little smile, reaching over to ever so gently scritch at the snoozing kitty's ears before he stands up and stretches, his maw gaping open in a long, silent yawn before he fluffs out his fur a little and starts getting dressed. The smells coming from downstairs have fairly obviously caught his attention and while he can be silent as death on most occasions, if he has to smell that for too much longer without going to snag something, his stomach's probably going to wake up more than just the feline.

Jax has posed:
It's remarkably how much Jax resembles a floofy kitten when asleep. And a scritch behind the ears isn't going to wake him up, it only makes him paw at the air adorably before snuggling into the nearest pillow... and there are a lot of pillows. The mouse plushie Squeaks has been banished to the foot of the bed for now, watching over the scene with its benevolent goofy smile.

Down in the kitchen two women are sitting at the kitchen table wearing a variation of the same horrible christmas sweater that some families insist on gifting to each other every year. The Millers, it seems, go in for a theme of green, red and white, and patterns of christmas trees bedecked with baubles (some of which are in the shape of footballs) and snowy landscapes. The whole is so atrocious that it has a charm of its own, and only someone who truly utterly liked someone would dare to wear it in their presence.

Upon closer inspection these women appear to be Catharine, Jax's mother, and Anna DeWitt, his maternal grandmother, drinking coffee and seemingly waiting to be served their breakfast.

The man doing the cooking, wearing the same atrocious sweater, is unmistakably Charles DeWitt, last seen on Capri and almost certainly still wearing a shirt and tie under the sweater. Although right now it's hard to tell, because he's also wearing an apron with the slogan 'Sue the chef'.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Lovely smells have a way of grabbing someones attention, especially when that someone has an appetite that could bankrupt a small nation, so:Pants? Check.
Leg-wraps? Check.
Torso bindings? Check!
Shirt? Woops..

The aardwolf can be scatter-brained at the best of times, so when he shows up downstairs he seems almost entirely oblivious to the fact that he's not wearing a shirt and while it might not be a necessary thing, given the bindings he typically wears underneath his cloths, the fact that his body looks like it's been bandaged to hell might still make it weird.

Jax has posed:
It's not too long before Anna spots the movement by the kitchen door and turns to greet the new arrival. There's really only a few it could be, and her smile is genuinely pleasant "Good morning swee- ... Oh my."

Yup. She's seen Kit before, of course, but never like this. Like most people, she sees bandages and jumps to the wrong conclusion from a standing start. Catharine's eyes go wide, and her coffee is put down quickly. "Are you okay, hun?"

"Or do I need to have a word with my grandson?" Charles remarks seriously, with just a hint of amusement as he serves two plates of scrambled eggs and french toast.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Kit seems confused for a moment before he looks down and finally realizes his lack of a shirt, murmuring something as he winces ever so slightly and gives a little grin. "No, I'm fine. These are just to--" Well, he started to explain that they're a normal part of his attire, but then Charles makes that remark and the aardwolf just pauses and chuckles ever so slightly.

It takes him a good moment or two before he finally manages to get out a simple, "Nothing like that.." as the inside of his ears flush a bit. After another awkward moment he manages to shrug off the thought and finish the explanation, "They're to help keep my skin and muscles from tearing when I use my magic." Then he reaches up and scratches at the back of his neck with a sheepish grin as he adds, "I'm gonna go get a shirt on.. Excuse me." before pivoting around and heading back towards the room.

Jax has posed:
It's a slightly bemused group that is left behind in the kitchen, but there are no comments that follow him out into the hallway and there's no sudden gossip that sensitive ears might pick up.

Possibly because this is a family that is used to being around someone with extremely good hearing...

In the room, nothing much has changed. Jax is still sprawled out in the bed, now sleepily feeling for the warm spot where Kit used to be. The Miller family sweater is still folded neatly on a shelf next to Kit's luggage. Various trophies still decorate the room. Squeaks is still smiling.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
The sweater gets a moments study before Kit just sort of shrugs and slips it on. When in Rome, right? Once he has it on, he'll take a minute to study it, one ear folding to the side as the other perks, then shake his head with a little grin.

Then he turns his attention to Jax and he gives another little smile before he goes over and leans down to nuzzle at the felines neck and shoulder gently. "Time to get up," he says, his voice loud enough to wake a sleeping feline but hopefully not loud enough to startle him.

Jax has posed:
"Mrrm?" It's that querying, rising tone of the sleeping cat that indicates something has triggered a return to a waking state. Cat.exe is booting with remarkable efficiency, and after a few seconds Jax opens his eyes, blinks just once, and seems to be suddenly operating on all cylinder instantaneiously.

Number of legs: two
Number of arms: two
Ears? Present
Tail? Present
Amount of existential angst? None

"Hey! G'morning puppy!" Yup, he's awake, and sitting up without delay. Then getting out of bed with even less delay, so he can hug Kit. "Merry Christmas! I see you've already found one of your gifts."

Only then does he get dressed. After all, you need to get your priorities straight. And of course, he has his own sweater to wear.

While Kit's sweater is a mostly ghastly amalgamation of christmas trees, snowed under cottages and the occasional Ankh, Jax's sweater is mostly snowed under footballs with the occasional confused cat face, all done in green, red, and white. It's awful! And he wears it with pride.

"C'mon, I can smell grandpa cooking, you don't wanna miss that!"

Kit Killovarras has posed:
"Merry Christmas, Kitten." Kit says as he returns the hug, giving Jax a little 'mlem' before he can get away to get dressed. "And I mean, I feel like I made a meal out of my foot a few moments ago.. But yeah, his cooking does smell divine." Then he scratches at the back of his neck and asks, "Also, does your grandpa normally crack jokes? Or is that a 'special occasions' sort of thing?" he asks with a somewhat confused tilt of his head.

Yeah, he's not giving context to all of that quite yet.

Jax has posed:
"I've heard foot is a good snack." Jax retorts with a wink on his way out the door "Can't get enough of it myself." Nope, he doesn't need to hear any explanations, in too much of an irrepressible good mood for now as he makes his way along the hallway and down the stairs.

"He's a lot like mom. When he needs to be serious, he's about as serious as it gets. But he's not that bad when he's relaxed, it's just hard to get him to that point." The last bit is added in a half whisper, because Jax has near messianic abilities when it comes to getting to a kitchen quickly, almost seeming to move at a full sprint even while casually walking. It must be part of that feline ability to appear just when food is being served, but it does mean that they're near the kitchen when he's talking about his grandfather, so his voice has to lower.

It's in stark contrast to when he actually enters the kitchen, flinging the door open and adopting a declamatory pose. "Merry Christmas all!"

Kit Killovarras has posed:
The explination of Charles and his antics gets a nod and a little, "That explains it then." with a quiet chuckle, but for now he'll just leave it at that, since there are places to be and, knowing the Kitten, entrances to be made.

The aardwolf comes in behind the feline and just sort of chuckles a little at the entrance that was indeed made, giving a glance to everyone else and a simple, "Hello again." with a warm smile before he tilts his head and asks, "Is there coffee by chance?"

Well, at very least he's not blushing any more and he doesn't seem to mind the gaudy sweater that was set out for him. It's almost like he's rather used to wearing this sort of thing, even if he typically wears muted colors.

Jax has posed:
"Well, look what the cat dragged in! Good morning sweetheart." Again, Anna is the first to respond to the entry, after a very necessary chuckle. "And good morning again, you." she winks at Kit "I see you found the sweater."

There's a nod around the table, and it's clear that Kit has passed some sort of test. Anyone willing to wear /that/ down to the breakfast table ironically is clearly their kind of person. "Coffee, croissants, french toast and scrambled eggs soon." Catharine replies while Jax finds his customary seat at the table, rubbing his hands together. Anna, naturally, reaches over to scritch him behind the ears, and seems inclined to do the same to Kit, but keeps her hand hovering in case there is some sort of objection.

Without comment, Charles opens another cupboard and reaches for two sealed jars helpfully marked 'Cricket' and 'Mealworm'. Those... are not ingredients usually found in an american kitchen. And neither would a cook know just how much of it is too much. Someone has been thoroughly briefed...

"Dad not up yet?" Jax asks, grinning.

"Oh no, he's not going to be conscious until at least this afternoon." Catharine replies with a similar grin.

"Awww, shame... now he's gonna miss the Christmas race." Even Jax's undertones have undertones. And it's Charles who replies from the stove with his own grin.

"You wish! Wild elephants couldn't stop him from going."

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Oh, if only they knew how comfortable the yeen actually was in wearing something so gaudy. He gives another glance down to the sweater when it's mentioned and gives a nod as he muses, "Mhmm. I actually kinda like it, it's nice and warm."

The jars from the cupboard do get a curious glance when Charles grabs them and Kit gives another little chuckle before he sits down near Jax. When he notices Anna's hand hovering near him as well? He gives her a glance and and a smile, no objections to be offered.

If she follows through with the offered scritch, there would be a subtle display of violet sparks that jump ever so slightly off of the ends of his fur. The sparks are harmless and beyond a visual display, don't cause any sensation for either person, though this is something that's been happening on and off now since the visitors from other dimensions.

The mention of a 'christmas race' though causes the aardwolfs ears to perk a little and he tilts his head, looking ever so slightly confused for a moment before he asks, "Dare I ask..?"

Jax has posed:
Scrtiches and a light display? That gets some attention from the table, and a surreptitious wink from Jax. It seems Kit is fast become a full member of the family.

"Doesn't your fur keep you warm though?" Catharine seems to want to know. "It was hard to get Jax to wear clothes at first, did you know?" Oh no, the embarassing facts have begun! "Wouldn't wear anything unless it was brightly coloured." A pointed glance and a grin "I don't think he ever grew out of it."

He's saved from full mortification by the arrival of breakfast, though Kit is pointedly served first, but Jax does get his hair ruffled as the plate is set down. "The race? That's where I beat dad down the Christmas track at the ski club."

"In your dreams." comes the sleepy voice from by the door, and in wanders Colin, looking as well as anyone possibly could after a long night of celebrations with his team mates. He doesn't just sit, he plonks himself down and then lowers his head onto the table. The resemblance with how Jax moves and acts is uncanny, and it seems the man is as much cat as it's possible to be while still remaining human. No question where that X-gene came from... "That trophy's mine this year."

Anna and Catharine give each other a look, and surreptitiously shake their heads at one another.

Something is going on here...

Kit Killovarras has posed:
"Not very well, actually." Kit says when Catherine asks about his fur, pressing back some of the fur on his paw to show that it's actually fairly fine. "Minimalist under-coat and fine strands are meant more for protection than for warmth. Part of being a desert dwelling species. It'll keep me warm to an extent, but it's practically useless in snow." Then the comments about Jax are made and Kit just nods and grins, "Yeah, I don't think he ever really grew out of it either." he says with a glance to Jax, giving him a little nudge before he adds, "You should see some of the things he wears at school.

Then Colin comes in and the back and forth between him and Jax takes place. All the while, Kit's piecing things together mentally before he tilts his head and asks, "So, a snowboarding competition? Ok, that explains the trophies I've been noticing.." Then he pauses and looks between Jax and Colin for a moment.

It almost looks like he's about to ask a question, but apparently he decides against it at the last moment.

Jax has posed:
It's like dropping a match in a fireworks factory. At the mention of the trophies, Jax glares across the table, and Colin glares right back, before the pair briefly glare at Kit before resuming their odd staring contest.

"I mean, should I ask what my son is wearing in school?" Catharine asks, utterly ignoring the theatric going on at the breakfast table. Another plate is set down on top of Colin's head, before Charles takes his own seat, exactly in the middle of the table, in what is clearly a neutral position, opposite Kit. "You probably should, my dear. Kids these days will wear the most outrageous of attire given half a chance." the man remarks as he starts in on his own breakfast, naturaly after tucking a napkin into his collar.

"Oh Charles, I do believe you were born old." Anna responds to that, with a fond smile to her husband and a soothing pat on Kit's shoulder. "Don't mind him, his age is giving him trouble again."

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Kit takes a bite finally - oddly enough waiting until after the cook has taken his first one for some reason - and once he's done with that, he gives Catherine a glance and a little smile. "Nothing too risque I assure you." there's a little pause as the aardwolf looks to the two macho boys, adding, "Though one of these days he's going to wind up in a skirt if he's not careful." he says, more as a joke than anything, but his attention turns back to Catherine and he finishes the thought with, "But he does seem to be more of the 'fashion forward' type."

Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a phone, rather absently tapping out his code on it before it's even above the table and queue's up a short video before offering it to the woman. "Yeah, by the way, sorry, I didn't know he couldn't have mint.." he adds with a sheepish little grin.

The quips from Charles and Anna get a little more of a chuckle and he just shrugs, "I mean, he's kind of right though. I've seen some pretty bizarre outfits since being transferred to the Academy."

Jax has posed:
"Point of order..." Jax interjects, actually raising a single finger when the topic of him in a skirt comes up, although he doesn't abandon the staring match. "I wore my cheerleader outfit to cheer up Shannon last year. And I'll let you know, it was a hit."

This doesn't seem to cause any consternation around the table, except perhaps for a hasty cough from Charles who suddenly finds it necessary to have a sip of coffee. What subtle mind games are being played here?

More impressive is the way Colin manages to take the plate off his head without spilling anything and still glare at Jax, and then lean over to look at the video playing on Kit's phone /while still glaring at Jax/.

"Awww, yes, poor thing. Too close to catnip." Anna remarks, while Catharine is trying hard, very hard, not to laugh out loud.

"You know, in my days..." Charles begins, without looking up from his plate despite the occasional surreptitious glance at phone. "... we didn't leave our dates hanging about at the breakfast table when there were presents to be given out."

This starts a sudden scramble, as both Jax and Colin slap their foreheads in unison and nearly tumble out of their chairs, running into the living room. Charles for his part simply reaches into the pocket of the apron he has hung nearby, and presents a perfectly wrapped, flat box to his wife. "Merry Christmas, my dear."

It is, of course, jewellery, a rather nice diamond necklace.

Colin is the first to return, with several wrapped boxes which turn out to be a new tie for Charles, a warm cashmere coat for Anna, and a holiday to Fiji for Catharine.

And after a while, Jax returns with five awkwardly shaped boxes, inexpertly wrapped, all of which he's carrying over towards Kit. Oh dear...

Kit Killovarras has posed:
Kit just watches the two scatter and gives a little smile, enjoying a bit more of his breakfast as both Jax and Colin retrieve their gifts for loved ones, reaching into his own pocket and producing a small, cloth-wrapped box from his own pocket. Subtle gifts are a thing, after all.

When Colin comes back, there's a warm smile on the yeens face watching various gifts being handed around and when Jax returns.. with FIVE packages? There's a little snerk from Kit, followed by the sound of someone who fairly obviously just nearly choked on their food. After he regains his composure, he just gives Jax a look and a quirk of his brow before the gifts he's carrying simply lift into the air and stack neatly nearby.

Then he stands up and walks over, giving Jax a gentle hug before offering him the little box. "Merry Christmas, Kitten." he says with a quiet little chuckle.

Jax has posed:
Ooh, a small box. With very unusual wrapping... Jax's attention is torn between the gifts he's just given Kit, and the gift he has received. Decorum states he should wait, feline instinct insists he should open this now. You can almost feel the internal conflict raging, which is not that hard for anyone capable of reading his body language.

It is, in the end, Charles who ends the stalemate with a soft sigh. "Open it already, you goofball."

After one last glance at the rest of the table, Jax carefully, ever so carefully, begins to unwrap his gift and open the box.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
When the cloth is pulled away, Jax is greeted with an ornate wooden box etched with various small depictions, some resembling recognizable symbols - one of which being an Ankh with a small rune within the loop - though most of them would take a studied eye to understand.

Inside the box is a small stone coin inlaid with golden script that vaguely resembles Arabic. The coin has been connected to a small strip of white silk with a strange, silver clasp at the back of it.

All the while it's being opened, Kit just waits with a little smile.

Jax has posed:
Silk! The reveal is so unexpected that Jax treats the fabric as if it's a holy relic, reverentially removing the rest from the box, then staring at the clasp and the coin. There's a low whistle from Colin, who recognises a symbolic gift when he sees one, and adoring expressions from Anna and Catharine, who most certainly recognise a fine silk choker when they see one. Still mesmerised by the gift, Jax slowly stands, and wraps Kit in a tight hug. "Thank you!"

At this point it's clear that he has no idea what he was just given, only that it was given with an intent he hasn't experienced before. When he finally releases that hug, he looks at the gift again, and his ears slowly begin to flatten. How does he do what he needs to do with the thing that he doesn't know what it do, does, or did?

"Here, let me help you dear." It's Anna who comes to his rescue, expertly pulling the choker around his neck and fastening it with the silver clasp... even if she has to reach up to do that these days.

While Jax is trying to look down along his own muzzle to see the coin, it's Charles who glances at it, and then gives Kit an odd sort of look. And then, at length, he smiles. "Y'know, I don't know how certain that race is anymore."

Because out of the people around the table not hailing from Egypt, he can certainly recognise a Sumerian protection charm when he sees one... even if he never expected to ever see one up close in his lifetime.

Kit Killovarras has posed:
The sudden hug gets a smile and a quiet chuckle and a gentle nose to the feline cheek, his lips parting only just barely as he gives a simple, "I love you, Kitten." just below the volume that most people could hear it. Anna gets a smile as she helps Jax put the choker on and then? Then the yeen takes the felines paws and gives a bright smile as he says, "dae hadha aljanah yaqif hataa 'anfasina al'akhirati."

It's a curious thing when someone feels what real magic is for the first time and as the yeen speaks, a subtle crackle of energy flows across Kit's arms, dancing for a moment across his paws before it travels up Jax's arms as well, the slow wave of violet energy dancing through him and into the coin around the felines neck, leaving the etchings shimmering with the same, dull violet light.

Once that's done, he'll walk Jax back to the table, pulling his seat out for him before reclaiming his own and finally willing the largest of Jax's gifts to him to float into the air. The wrapping comes off neatly - even to the point of folding itself up - before a snowboard with very obviously Egyptian imagery on it is revealed.

Charles's comment about his uncertainty about the race gets an odd little grin as Kit glances to him and muses, "Yeah.. Kinda getting that feeling too."