Mimi stretches lazily and stops the carriage.
"Alright ladies, why don't we go out and stretch our legs. We can have a picnic!"
At the mention of food, a nearly manic look appears on the girl's faces; Mimi felt a little alarmed. Mimi immediately set out the food she had stashed in the carriage earlier and watches with slight horror how quickly Dumplin and Chen demolished the food. When the two siblings had their fill, they lay together in a pile like puppies.
"Okay, kids, I think we should talk," Mimi began gently, not liking how her young sisters immediately jump in fear.
"Look, since we are together for the foreseeable future, I want to make sure we are on the same page. If you guys are hungry, all you have to do is ask me. I would also like to know what kind of food you like so I can plan meals accordingly. Umm, I think you guys should also get an allowance. What is the usual sort of amount of money that is given in this time?"
Both sisters stare at her as if she had suddenly grown multiple heads. Dumplin is the first to respond with, "What?"
"She wants to give us money!" Chen's voice is not quite a squeal but pretty close, striking while the fire was hot Chen chants, "Twenty gold coins is the usual. A week."
"Twenty what?" Dumplin asks, and Mimi begins rethinking this allowance idea with Dumplin.
Mimi gently tosses a purple money pouch at Chen and then throws a pink one at Dumplin. Chen shook the bag next to her, and a delighted look appears on her face as she hears the clanking gold coins. Dumplin does the same and seems almost confused.
"Do you want me to hang on to that for you, cub?" Mimi asks the small child; Dumplin nods and gives it back.
"I also think it would be a good idea to get some supplies in the next town. Get some clothes for you two," Mimi said this offhandedly, but Chen seems almost offended.
"So, you are going to make us pay for our own clothes, is that it?" Chen growls.
Blinking in surprise, Mimi says, "Uhh no. I was going to pay for it unless you are strongly opposed to it. You guys do not have to pay for anything. I took you in, and I am taking care of you."
This was enough for Dumplin, who gives her an adorably lopsided bow, "Thank you, eldest sister!"
Not being able to help herself, Mimi leans over and pulls the child to her in a hug, "You guys can call me Mimi. If you call me Lady Shen or any variation, I am probably not going to respond right away."
She looks over at Chen from the top of Dumplin's head. Chen is staring at her strangely, but there is a small smile on her lips.
"Would you like to go for a run?" Mimi releases Dumplin and stretches, her joints popping in the complaint.
"Are you really old?"
Mimi tries not to glare at Chen, "Just passed my 217th birthday. Thank you very much. I am not cemetery mulch yet. That's not incredibly old in fox spirit standards."
"You are so very old," Chen bows to her, and Mimi stares meaningfully at the purple purse in her sister's hand.
Sensing the endangerment of her allowance and possible future allowances, Chen backtracks, "It is a privilege to be in the presence of one who has experienced many lifetimes."
Appeased, Mimi looks back at the carriage, "Are we ready to go?"
"Can we run for a bit?"
This surprises Mimi, but she nods to Chen excitedly, "Of course! This forest is suitable."
Mimi notes Dumplin's look of uncertainty and says, "You can ride on me."
In fox form, Mimi stood about the size of a Doberman. Her tails stretch further behind her. Looking a little intimidated, Chen shifts, and Mimi is immediately delighted by the little red fox. Tails between her legs, Chen's fur stiffens as Mimi approaches. Mimi playfully bats at her with her paw. Chen immediately shows her neck in submission. Not having that, Mimi nuzzles the top of her head with her nose.
Not wanting Dumplin to feel left out, Mimi trots over to the small child and nuzzles her cheek with her nose before licking her face. Mimi lays down and barks at Dumplin to get on. As if all her Christmases and Birthdays had come true all at once, Dumplin gingerly gets on her oldest sister's back. Mimi wraps a couple of tails around Dumplin and takes a few experimental steps forward. Dumplin grabs the heavy fur around her neck, and Mimi winces a little at the firm grip.
Mimi walks over to Chen, who had been watching with impatience. With a single bark from the older fox, Chen immediately darts into the forest. Knowing she could easily catch her if she so chose, Mimi runs at a slower pace. Being mindful of Dumplin, she avoids the low hanging branches.
"Can you go faster, eldest sister?"
Barking in assent, Mimi runs a bit faster. Catching sight of Chen running in and out of the trees, Mimi surges forward, snapping playfully at the younger fox's heels.
Surprised, Chen leaps up with a shrill bark. Mimi charges forward, running circles around Chen. Dumplin laughs at Chen, and Mimi could feel her pressing her face in her fur. Taking turns chasing each other between the trees, Mimi finally leads the trio out of the woods and the carriage. Seeing that Chen was not done running around, Mimi settles down on her stomach. Dumplin hobbles off her back, curls up next to her like a cub, and promptly falls asleep. Four of Mimi's tails slip over her like a makeshift blanket.
Meanwhile, Chen is chasing grasshoppers in the dry grass. Thinking it is quite adorable, Mimi doesn't stop her. It is like watching a kitten learning to hunt for the first time. Finally, pouncing Chen accidentally let the grasshopper slip out of her paws before leaping up in surprise as the grasshopper jumps at her face. Snickering at the fox cub, Mimi soon attracts attention to herself. Fur fluffing out, Chen hops around the elder fox spirit moving around and nipping at her tails. Indulging this cute behavior, Mimi holds out her available tails just out of reach of Chen.
Bouncing around, she attempts to tackle Mimi by smacking into her side. But it was like Chen had hit a wall and bounces off before trying again. Quickly giving up on that, Chen hops around her sister's snout before play biting her ear. Easily shaking her off, Mimi growls at Chen warningly before wrapping a massive paw around her head and licking her face. Chen squeezes out of the headlock and flounces off to about a foot away, waving her two fluffy foxtails.
With the sun rising higher in the sky, Mimi barks at Chen and shifts into her human form. Grabbing Dumplin off the ground, Mimi calls to Chen, "Let's get going. I told the proprietor of the hotel we would be there this afternoon. I don't want to be around here after nightfall."
Resuming her human form, Chen stretches her arms overhead and makes a beeline for the carriage. Thinking that was a little strange, but not weird enough to comment, Mimi follows her back to the carriage. The shadow horses resume their steady pace as soon as Mimi closes the door. Dumplin clings to her robes.
"That was fun! Can we do it again?"
Raising an eyebrow at the suddenly exuberant Chen sitting across from her, Mimi studies the younger fox spirit before replying.
"Of course. Do you not get to run around in your fox form much?"
"Father didn't like to see it unless you had five tails," Chen looks away embarrassed, "and well, I didn't see mother very much."
"Look, as soon as we get settled, we will do it more often," Mimi promises, "There will be time for that."