"Would you like to walk about outside? There is a maze," Mimi asks as they finish their tea.
"I would like that," the clan leader stares longingly at the tea kettle before Mimi laughs and stands up.
"I will get that recipe one of these days," the clan leader smiles and opens the sliding door.
Mimi peeks out but does not see her sisters, craning her ears; she could hear them running around further in the maze.
Lan Xichen stares at the maze, impressed, "I was not expecting an actual maze."
Expecting him to follow, Mimi wanders into the entrance of the maze.
"Will we get lost?" the clan leader grips his sword as if contemplating whether he could cut through the large topiaries if they did.
"I have had to explore this maze many times in locating my sisters. We will not get lost. Just follow me," Mimi waits for him to join her.
"I am rather disappointed that I have not seen that familiar of yours," the clan leader said after a moment of comfortable silence.
"I apologize; I sent her on a couple of errands today for the girls," Mimi adjusts the rose in her hair.
"Would you bring her to Cloud Recesses?"
Mimi pretends to ponder this for a moment, "I suppose I could if permitted by the clan leader. You would allow my sisters and I to stay at Cloud Recesses?"
Lan Xichen does not mention that he had been renovating the residential quarters for the past two weeks, merely for that purpose after seeing her read to her siblings one rainy day.
"Of course, my uncle, Lord Qiren, has been quite eager to meet you as well," Lan Xichen pauses, a little embarrassed.
"He did not think to join Wei Wuxian and your brother in taking down my barriers?" Mimi chuckles at the idea.
The clan leader winces; perhaps he had been lucky it had just been Master Wei and Wanji. The woman before him would be running to whence she came if his uncle had tagged along.
He beckons her to sit on a bench in a narrow alcove, "If it is not impertinent, I would like to do a compatibility test."
Raising her eyebrows, Mimi asks, "Should I have studied a certain text?"
A light flush appears behind the clan leader's ears, "Nothing like that. It is a practice amongst my clan. It is one of four tasks that must be completed for a . ." Lan Xichen could not get the words out with the Lady Shen staring at him with those strange eyes of hers.
"Relationship?" she finishes helpfully, "you did mention in your letter that a certain number of tasks would need to be completed to marry you."
The clan leader feels his blush deepen, "Yes."
He holds his hands out in front of him, "I thought perhaps we could see before this goes further?"
Uncertain, Mimi raises her hands; he startles a bit at the sight of her claws but is too polite to comment.
"Try channeling spiritual energy to the area between our hands," he instructs, once more in his element.
The clan leader's magic drifts toward her curiously; she could see the lightest hints of blue as it reached out to touch her fingers, daring her. Mimi focuses on the area between them, pouring a bit of her magic into the center; the light green tendrils float in the middle of their hands. Her magic circles the clan leader's magic cautiously before reaching out to his. At the touch of their magic, a white light begins to form in the middle of their hands.
"Is this . . . good?" Mimi feels the warmth of their combined magic wash over her, leaving tingles on her skin.
Lan Xichen stares at the heavenly glow between their hands in awe, "Yes, very good."
"Good," Mimi watches the white tendrils move about like resplendent ribbons.
Suddenly a loud cry rises from the center of the maze. Acting on instinct, Mimi lowers her hands and bolts towards the sound. Foxfire is already rising from her skin. Could something had gotten in? How would that be possible?
Mimi enters the maze center and looks around, seeing Dumplin on the ground with Chen crying next to her. Mameki disappears after kicking a massive rat against the wall.
The rat sprang up and threw itself savagely at Chen's barrier. Chen tremblingly points at the larger than average rat that threw itself over and over on the shield. Before Mimi can fry the rat with a ball of fire, a white sword flashes past her, destroying the creature in a manner of seconds. Mimi looks back at the clan leader who had chased after her through the maze. Hair fluffing out in rage, Mimi inspects the carnage, ensuring the rat is dead before she set it aflame.
"Alright, cub," Mimi comfortingly puts her hands on the barrier that Chen had constructed, "You can let me in. You and Dumplin are safe. It's alright."
Chen drops the barrier and allows her sister in before beginning to shake.
"What happened?" Mimi realizes her littlest sister is shaking and in shock, but otherwise is unharmed.
Dumplin crawls into her lap, "It kept coming at me, but was thrown off every time. It made it mad.
Lan Xichen settles beside her, and Mimi looks over at him with surprise; Chen whimpers, "We were playing, and it came out of nowhere! I couldn't stop it!"
"But you protected your sister with your shield, didn't you?"
Mimi glances over at the clan leader, and he looks over the child's head to look at her. He mouths, Is this okay? Am I overstepping my bounds? Mimi looks him over before shaking her head. Rather curious if he could impress her siblings.
He looks back down at Chen, "You took charge of the situation until we could get to you. Neither of you is hurt," Lan Xichen says, his voice extremely gentle, "I would say that that this is a success."
Mimi examines the glowing pendant around her littlest sister's wrist and smiles, internally thanking Yuanjun for this gift.
"Is she alright?" Lan Xichen asks, eyes alighting on the pendant that Mimi held in her hand.
"I think so, just scared," Mimi hugs her little sister before beckoning to Chen, who immediately throws herself at Mimi.
"Why don't we go inside and have some more of those pastries?" Mimi asks, nuzzling her sister's heads.
"I'll go inside and request them," Lan Xichen says, looking over the three sisters with an unreadable expression, before disappearing into the maze.
"We didn't ruin your meeting, did we?" Dumplin looks up at Mimi with tears in her eyes.
Making a pft noise with her lips, Mimi squeezes her sisters a little tighter, "Of course you didn't! You should know I would choose you both every single time. Every. Single. Time." Mimi punctuates this with a kiss on their heads. "You are my sisters. I would do anything possible to keep you safe."
Her eyes linger on where she had last seen the rat. How could it possibly have gotten in? And more importantly, why did it have bloodshot eyes?
"I like him," Chen says, reaching up to nuzzle Mimi's nose, momentarily distracting her.
"I think he's nice," Dumplin reports, wrapping her arms around her sister's waist.
"Mameki?" Mimi says to the open air.
The parasol pops up immediately, "Mameki, so proud of cubs! Mameki saw Chen put up barrier!"
"Are you alright? The rat didn't scratch you did it?" Mimi asks, surveying the delicate paper on the parasol.
"Mameki fine. Mameki glad cubs good."
"We are going to get some pastries; would you like me to bring you up some?" Mimi asks, grateful the parasol had been there to protect her siblings.
"Mameki watching figure," Mameki strikes a pose and then disappears.
"You guys, okay?" Mimi nudges her siblings until they stand up.
Both siblings look at each other before giving her twin smiles. A weight she did not realize was on her shoulders relaxes, and Mimi lets out a breath. Mimi opens the sliding door and sees the clan leader inspecting a teapot of the mysterious brew. He looks up at their approach and smiles. The pastries were already on the table. Mimi sits down, and her sisters once again flank her. Dumplin, however, scoots closer to Mimi, leaning against her side. Feeling a little more comfortable in front of the clan leader, Mimi leans down to kiss Dumplin on her forehead.
"That was quite an impressive display. Did your sister teach you how to make those barriers?" Lan Xichen asks Chen, going ahead and pouring tea for everyone at the table.
Chen looks up to Mimi for permission, and Mimi nods as she fills both children's plates with more pastries than they could eat.
"Thank you, clan leader lan. My sister did teach me," Chen beams at her sister.
"Both of my sisters are very talented," Mimi sips her tea, inhaling the soothing smell.
"I looked at your paintings," Lan Xichen smiles at Dumplin, who sits up straighter.
"I would love to give you lessons, though I am sure you will even exceed my abilities in time," Lan Xichen said.
Nodding excitedly, Dumplin tugs on Mimi's skirts, "Please, Mimi!"
Lan Xichen raises an eyebrow at the name but does not say anything. Content to watch the interactions play out between the sisters.
Not wanting to be left out, Chen tugs at her from her other side, "HanGuang Jun said there is a large library!"
"We do have an extensive library," Lan Xichen offers, eager to help this along.
Setting down her tea, Mimi finally playfully relents, "When would you like us at Cloud Recesses?"
"Welcome, it's good to see you, Clan leader Gusu," the guard intones, bowing to Lan Xichen.
"Thank you," Lan Xichen returns the man's bow and hands him a bag of rice and steamed vegetables.
"Please take a break. I will watch over them for a few hours," Lan Xichen kindly nods to the guard.
If it had been anyone but the clan leader, the guard would have adamantly refused, but the Gusu clan leader is a regular visitor to the tomb for the last two years. It is a day's trip to the grave from Cloud Recesses. The guards knew him well.
"Thank you, clan leader. I will return in twenty minutes. Please let me know if I may be of assistance."
Nodding politely, Lan Xichen steps into the familiar tunnel. Winding down into the very bowels of the mountain. Sigils of protection are carved into the walls, ensuring without a reasonable doubt that those entombed within. Would never be released into the world above. Carrying his small bouquet, Lan Xichen finally reaches the door and lightly pushes it open. The stone casket is as memorable to him as the two individuals forever cursed to reside within. Chains are wrapped in abundance around the coffin.
"It's me again," Lan Xichen strokes his hand over the stone casket, laying the peonies he brought on the lid.
Bringing down the hood of his cloak, the clan leader studies his sworn brothers' final resting place.
"Brothers," he whispers to the silent tomb, "It has been two years, but I still miss you so."
"Without you, I feel that my grasp upon this world is fading. Uncle is worried that I have let Cloud Recesses fall to disrepair. He has not said it as such. The cultivators do not come as they once did."
He brings the flute to his lips and plays a melancholic funeral dirge. Playing until his lips sting, he finally sets it down.
"I have been sending messages to all the clans and appealed to have the trine at Cloud Recesses. I have not heard a word yet."
Feeling the urgent need to confess, he kneels on the pillow he had brought, "I met a woman the other day. You would approve of her lineage and accomplishments. I know Nie-Mingjue, you would say that her family must be punishing her for sending her to me. I am not the man I was."
He laughs hollowly, "Master Wei and Wanji were already inspecting her when I arrived at the hotel. Second brother, they are still in love and live in Cloud Recesses. It has been wonderful for Wanji."
Lan Xichen remembers the night he had confessed his suspicions to Guangyao and had hoped that they might have done the same.
"She has brought with her two little sisters," Lan Xichen puts his hand over his face, "the littlest one reminded me of Nie Huaisang. . . she hides behind her sister's skirts."
"I have . . . done my best to forgive him for his crimes as I have tried to do for you second brother, but I cannot find peace."
"Second brother, Guangyao," he whispers into the dark, "you must have known that you held my heart. After all these years. Is that why you did not tell me of your misdeeds? I knew, to some extent. Knew that you must have had a reason for doing all that you had. Perhaps, if we had loved, then I might be resting alongside you now. I sometimes wish in the darkest nights when I am awakened by your screams in my mind, that you had not pushed me away."
Staring at the stone wall ahead of him, Lan Xichen breathes in the stale air, trying to compose himself. Shutting his eyes, he continues to breathe as if in meditation. He would not cry again.
"You have still not come through in Inquiry, neither of you. Are your souls so broken that you will not be able to reincarnate? Or do you not wish to take pity on your brother that has been left behind?"
Taking the peonies from the stone casket, Lan Xichen strokes the petals, "Why does it still hurt? I thought for sure I would be well again now. You said second brother, that you never thought of hurting me, that it had never touched your mind. So why are you hurting me now?"
Replacing the flowers on the coffin, Lan Xichen rests his forehead on the cold stone, "I apologize, my brothers, but I may not return for a while. But I just needed to converse with you as we once did. I needed to share this."
Staying for another hour in meditative silence, Lan Xichen opens his eyes to the dark room. His uncle would worry if he missed dinner. Getting to his feet, he replaces the hood over his head and glides across the floor. Nodding to the returned guard, he gives him a heavy pouch of gold coins. It is the least he could do.
Unsheathing his sword, he hovers for a moment by the side of the mountain. He wishes his brothers had been entombed closer. But the general agreement had been to put them within the mountain until there is no possible way that they may hurt anyone else.
He remembers how Wanji had tried to stop him from visiting after the entombment. How they both had stood before the stone casket as it shook with Nie-Mingjue fury. He could still hear his second brother's screams. He had come again later that evening and wept like a child. Trying to comfort the dead that he knew could not hear him. It was Master Wei who had found him lying on the floor. Not wanting to concern his brother, Lan Xichen had somehow consoled himself enough to drag himself back to their rooms. Perhaps he had gotten better.