The young cultivator stares down at the fox curiously. Inwardly rolling her eyes, Mimi sits on her haunches and stands in a begging position she had seen dogs do. Wagging her now single tail, she shows the boy the package she held in her mouth. Come on, sweetheart, Mimi begs with her eyes. Look how adorable I am. Let me in. Desperate times call for desperate measures apparently, Mimi thinks. Carefully setting the package on the ground, Mimi rolls over on to her back and whimpers. Wagging her tail beseechingly. The boy finally caves into her cuteness and rubs her stomach and then behind her ears.
"Come on, then, let's show you to the clan leader," the boy says, trundling up the path.
Picking up the package, Mimi trots through the barrier without injury. The boy parting the barrier for her with ease.
Without warning, the boy picks her up and jumps on his sword like a skateboard. Mimi nearly drops the package as the boy gently lifts them up and travels to Cloud Recesses more efficiently. Being an aerialist, Mimi is not particularly afraid of heights. But a teenager riding a sword while carrying her, well, there were exceptions to most things, weren't there? It is a mercifully short ride, and the young cultivator set her gently on the ground before sheathing his sword.
"Come on, doggie," the young cultivator says, and Mimi nearly bristles at the insult.
Ignoring it for now, Mimi takes a good look at Cloud Recesses, now that she can wander around freely in the daylight. She had learned the name from wandering all night in the small village at the base of the mountain. The buildings were beautiful, and there is a faint chill in the air. She had not realized last night she was high in the mountains.
"Zewu-Jun, Zewu-Jun! Look what I found!"
Knowing her cue for what it was, Mimi trots over happily to where the clan leader stood. Her package on full display.
"My what a lovely fox," the clan leader stood alone.
Mimi gets nearly a foot away from the clan leader and does a smart little backflip before offering the package in her mouth with a whine.
"You are so clever," the clan leader holds his hand out for her to sniff.
You should never hold your hand out to wild animals, Mimi thinks at the clan leader with a smirk. She daintily trots over to dutifully sniff the hand, and her nose is filled with the scent of mint. Delighted, Mimi licks his hand before shoving her head into his palm. A laugh escapes the clan leader's mouth as he scratches behind her ears and beneath her chin. His laugh is so like her wife's laugh, Mimi thinks. The sound is like a balm to her heart. He has such rough but gentle hands, Mimi thinks. She whines again and nudges the package to the bottom of his robe. Wagging her tail, she looks up at him with her big emerald eyes.
"What is this?"
Lan Xichen picks up the package and examines it from all sides.
"She had it in her mouth when she arrived Zewu-Jun," the young cultivator scratches Mimi behind the ears.
"I will look into it. Thank you, Sizhui, you can return to your post," Lan Xichen watches the boy leave before turning to the fox at his heels.
"Why don't I fetch you some breakfast?"
Not expecting this, Mimi wags her tail happily and trots after him. Being mindful of his robe, Mimi continues her close inspection of Cloud Recesses.
"You are such a pretty thing. Your master or mistress must take good care of you," Lan Xichen observes, feeling a little foolish speaking to the fox.
As if knowing what he said to be a compliment, the fox gives him a toothy grin and wags her tail. Truth be told, Lan Xichen had never seen a fox before. At least none with this coloring. Her coloring, for he is fairly certain this is a vixen, is nearly black with soft sheens of red. The fur is incredibly soft. Lan Xichen took his set of keys and is about to open the dining hall when he realizes he led a fox directly to the chicken coops.
Looking down, he notes the fox had her back to the chicken coop and is sitting patiently at his feet with her tail folded around her. She is watching him expectantly with her head tilted.
"You are such a smart girl," Lan Xichen can't help but coo at the fox, rubbing her ears fondly before resuming opening the door.
He is glad that Wanji and his uncle had gone off for a bonding meditation early in the morning. It would not do for them to see him talking to a fox. Even if the fox is quite lovely, he had a feeling Wanji would immediately think of his bunnies and despair. If Master Wei found out. He didn't dare think of that.
"You won't eat any of the bunnies, will you?" Lan Xichen asks, opening the door for her.
She tilts her head at him, and Lan Xichen marvels again at the intelligence in those emerald eyes. Perhaps he could secretly keep her and pretend the message had not come.
What a funny man, Mimi thinks, eat bunnies? The very idea. There is no challenge in that. Mimi walks in first and waits for him to follow. Holding her tail aloft, she sniffs the air. It smelled of teenage boys. He locks the door and walks to the kitchens.
"Come on, this way," he pats his leg, but Mimi is already close on his heels.
Lan Xichen removes a plate from the cupboard and puts some large pieces of chicken on it. He puts it on the floor in front of him so he could watch. She looks down at the chicken, sniffs it, and looks back at him as if to say, are you not going to join me?
"I already ate, but thank you," Lan Xichen chuckles lightly to himself. What would his second brother Guangyao say if he could see him paying so much attention to this creature? His heart shivers, and he stares down at the package in his hand.
Seeing this, Mimi carefully moves around the dish of chicken to nuzzle his hand with the package. She licks his hand gently. This makes the clan leader smile, and he strokes her head gently.
"You eat, and I will read," Lan Xichen wonders if he half imagines the slight nod the fox gives him before returning to the dish.
Smart indeed, he thinks. He watches for a moment while she daintily sniffs at the chicken before taking small bites. Her eyes looking up at him every so often to see if he is sticking to the bargain.
Lan Xichen takes a knife and carefully tears through the top part of the package. It is a beautifully engraved cherry wood box with a small fox carved on the top. He opens the box and discovers a sealed envelope and a pendant with a fox carrying a scroll in its mouth.
Mimi eats her chicken and watches anxiously as he cautiously opens the envelope. He did not even scan the contents of the package to see if it was dangerous. But Mimi reasons, her Sara would probably do the same. Always so trusting of everyone. He scans the contents of the letter and sets it on the table. Sitting there contemplatively, Mimi finally nudges his knee with her nose.
"So, your mistress would like to marry me?" he asks, sounding a little tired.
Mimi slowly wags her tail, is there someone else? He looks down, sees the empty dish, picks it up, washes it, and sets it back in the cupboard. Her predecessors might have lured him to the woods with a plaintive song and dancing naked in the moonlight. But he did not seem to be the sort to be easily led. Her wife is certainly strong-willed, Mimi thinks with tenderness.
"Are you going to wait for a response?" he asks her suddenly.
Mimi nods her head, and he laughs; it is such a wondrous sound, Mimi thinks. He gently scratches behind her ears.
"I have to discuss this with my uncle and brother. They are my only blood relatives after all," he pets her, "I should like to ask for you as a betrothal gift," he laughs.
All you have to do is ask, Mimi thinks, wagging her tail.
Lan Xichen takes some more chicken and puts it in a bag, "Come along then. I have some correspondence to take care of. We will wait for my uncle and brother there."
The strange duo leave the kitchen and dining hall. Mimi trots beside him, doing her best to memorize all the little shadowy places where she could possibly escape to if need be.
"Zewu-Jun, Zewu-Jun!"
Flicking her tail to the side with a little anxiety Mimi watches a young cultivator dash up to the clan leader. He is looking at her in wonderment.
"Is that a fox Zewu-Jun? Lan Sizhui told me someone sent you a fox!"
Sitting down, Mimi wraps her tail around herself and holds her head high. This is merely a child, she thinks.
Lan Xichen looks down at her and smiles, "A bit of correspondence with an unorthodox delivery system. She does not seem to mind being pet if you allow her to sniff your hand and be gentle."
Do not allow children to pet wild animal's clan leader, Mimi inwardly smirks up at the tall man.
"My father doesn't like foxes. I've never seen one quite so large or that color," the boy says, dutifully holding his hand out for Mimi to sniff.
He is not close, so Mimi slowly gets to her feet and dutifully sniffs the boy's hand. No stickiness. Mimi licks his hand before allowing him to scratch her ears. Lan Xichen smiles, "See, she is quite tame."
Two other boys mimic their predecessor, and Mimi soon finds herself surrounded by round faces telling her what a good girl she is. They are rather cute, she thinks. She half expected to be mauled, but the boys were very gentle as they stroked her fur and scratch behind her ears. Mimi playfully bats at one of the boys with a large paw.
"I thought there were no dogs allowed in Cloud Recesses?" one of the boys asks. Mimi bristles at the word and barks her discontent.
"Technically, she is not a dog," the clan leader says, "Alright, you have your studies. Go on," Lan Xichen makes a shooing gesture with his sword, and the boys quickly scatter, shooting glances at Mimi as they ran.
He sighs as he watches them go, so Mimi tucks her head into his free hand. Smiling down at her, he says, "I miss being young sometimes."
"Come along," he says softly, patting his hand on his leg.
He nearly glides, Mimi thinks, watching him as they walk to another building. Looking down at his feet, she realizes that he made little steps with his intriguing pointed shoes. So, distracted by this, Mimi nearly runs into the door.
"Careful," the clan leader chides gently, as if out of habit.
He slides the door open and allows Mimi to step through before following himself. Mimi trots into the aesthetically pleasing room. She hardly sees Lan Xichen pull a pillow from a cupboard and set it by the desk.
"You can sit right here next to me," he says, patting the large pillow. Mimi looks back at him after perusing the comfortable room and cannot help but grin toothily. The pillow is right next to his leg.
Mimi quickly trots over to smell the deep blue cushion before poking at it with both her feet. Satisfied at the plushness of the pillow, Mimi circles a couple of times before snuggling in wrapping her tail around her. She peeks at Lan Xichen from behind her tail. He is smiling and shaking his head at her. Sitting at his desk, he takes a notice off the tall stack of correspondence and begins to read. Mimi feels herself relax increment by increment as she watches the clan leader dip his brush in ink and carefully write a response. When he is done, he sprinkles sand over the page and delicately puts the page to the side to dry. He reaches over and scratches her behind the ears. He repeats this pattern a dozen times until Mimi slides off the pillow and into his lap. The smell of mint is stronger here, she reasons, stretching out across his lap like an exceptionally large cat. Mimi felt warm. She has not felt warm for what seems like years, but it had only been less than twenty-four hours since Sara had . . .but she couldn't think of that. Not when her mate is here. When she is so close to her in this reincarnation.
"If you touch my elbow while I write, I will not be pleased," the clan leader warns good-naturedly, scratching behind her ears.
Mimi leans into the touch. These were her wife's fingers. She is sure of it. Leaning her head against his leg Mimi felt a strange sense of home. She felt safe.
"Why is there a fox in your lap?"
Mimi slowly opens her eyes to the gruff noise. Her body is warm, and at first, she has no idea where she is. Breathing in the scent of mint, Mimi realizes she is still in possession of the clan leader's lap. Looking up towards the voice, she sees the older man she had seen the previous night—the one complaining of the temple dog. Mimi shivers, and Lan Xichen strokes his hand down her side, calming her.
"I wanted to discuss this with you," Lan Xichen pulls her letter from his sleeve and hands it to his uncle.
"This letter came with the most unusual delivery system," he gestures at Mimi, who slowly wags her tail.
From her position in the clan leader's lap, she can only look up to see the occupants in the room. Looking at the skeptical glare of the clan leader's uncle, Mimi decides that she is occupying the safest spot in the room.
Another man slowly appears in her field of vision. He is nearly identical to Lan Xichen but younger, she reasons. His cold glare fills her with unease.
"Wanji, I can guarantee that she has not harmed a single hair on your bunnies. I have kept an eye on her since her arrival. She is so well behaved."
"I will count," the white-clad man intones.
This Wanji looks doubtful, Mimi thinks as she studies the man in white. Her wife's features were here as well, but muted and cold.
"We have far too many bunnies," Lord Qiren spoke up, looking up from the letter, "perhaps having a fox around would reduce the numbers."
The clan leader's brother stares at his uncle with ice in his eyes. The hand gripping the sword clenches, and Mimi makes a mental note to avoid the bunnies.
"As for this Shen clan, I think it would be an excellent idea. The clan name is old, and the family is very well respected. The only eccentricity is that the clan tends to keep to itself and avoid other matters," Lord Qiren states, handing the letter over to Wanji to peruse.
"What do you know of them?" Lan Xichen asks, continuing to pet Mimi, who is craning her head to watch the three men.
"Overall? The family tends to keep to themselves. The current patriarch is a warlord sort. It would not be wise to refuse outright."
Lan Xichen suddenly stands with Mimi in his arms. Mimi tries not to wriggle at the sudden movement. He adjusts her so that her beautiful coat is exposed.
"I think we can learn much about them from this lovely creature," Lan Xichen strokes her back, soothingly, "Look at her coat and how well-fed she is."
Lord Qiren steps closer, and so does Wanji, his eyes still glinting at the thought of anything harming the bunnies.
"She is extremely well behaved. Lan Sizhui flew her in on his sword, and she made no protest. I led her past the chicken coops, and she made no move to harm them. Sitting right next to the cage and waited for me to open the dining hall. In addition to this, I noticed after placing a plate of chicken in front of her that she was more concerned with the parcel she was carrying than the food. She has waited patiently and obediently for a response to this letter. I believe the clan that raises such a creature must be full of fine qualities."
"You finally agree to a match Xichen?" Lord Qiren raises his eyebrows to his hairline.
Mimi curves her neck to look at the clan leader. His face is a little flushed around the ears. He readjusts her so that she is lying more comfortably in his arms.
"You wish to keep the fox," Wanji adds, staring down at Mimi, his face unreadable.
"He may keep as many foxes as he likes Wanji if he decides to finally marry," Lord Qiren says gruffly.
Mimi looks between Lord Qiren and Lan Xichen.
"I will agree to meet her. Then we shall discuss the tasks," Lan Xichen gently puts her on the ground, and Mimi immediately sits on the pillow and tucks her tail around her.
Lord Qiren deflates a little, and Mimi wonders exactly why marriage seems to be a sore spot between them. And what were these tasks, she wonders?
"Keep me informed," Lord Qiren nods to both men and departs.
Lan Xichen and Lan Wanji bow to their uncle.
"What do you make of it?" Lan Xichen murmurs to his brother stepping back to his desk.
The brother does not answer. He is staring at her. Mimi wags her tail at him and whines.
He studies her for a moment before saying, "I will inform Wei Ying," he then steps out the door as well.
Mimi looks over at Lan Xichen in confusion.
"His cultivation partner is not partial to canines," Lan Xichen explains and then wonders why. Perhaps he was lonelier than he thought.
"But, I suppose your mistress deserves an answer."