"Are members of the Shen clan always so boisterous and athletic?"
Mimi winces as the clan leader pokes at her ribs with long slender fingers. He had no idea how boisterous the Shen clan could be.
"I don't know what you are referring to, clan leader," Mimi bites her lip as his careful fingers poke at an unpleasant spot.
The clan leader pauses and begins counting on his fingers, "I have fought you, seen you do handstands, fight Master Wei, and watched the youngest Shen nearly bite one of my disciple's ankles. I would say that my claim has already been validated, and you have only been in Cloud Recesses for less than two weeks."
"Dumplin, did what?" Mimi whips her head around and almost bonks the clan leader in the forehead.
"To be fair," the clan leader looks tired, "Lan Jingyi had called her an ankle biter, but I don't believe it was nothing if not affectionate."
There is a silence as the clan leader began to siphon spiritual energy to her, "You call the youngest Shen Dumplin?"
"Dandan is a long name for a little girl. Chen started calling her Dumplin, and it stuck," Mimi explains, and the clan leader smiles.
"Plus, she looks like a little dumpling," Mimi stares out the window. The girls were probably already eating their second lunch at Mameki's hands.
Lunch had been a tiring affair. Unlike the welcome feast where there had been more discourse and food options, the lunch the Gusu clan preferred had been small vegetarian portions. Her little cubs were a bit more carnivorous. Aside from the concerned stares the clan leader gave her, there was no discourse during meals.
"Why is she so small?"
The clan leader's voice disrupts her thoughts with the efficiency of a leaf blower.
"Ah, that's a bit complicated," Mimi grits her teeth as her rib is finally forced into place.
"As complicated as falling by the cold springs?" the clan leader raises his eyebrow at her but kept giving her spiritual energy.
Biting her cheek, Mimi confesses, "Lord Shen was not giving my youngest siblings the attention they needed. It was one of the reasons I brought them here. To keep them safe. I felt I at least could do a better job than him."
"I thought as much," the clan leader pokes her ribs some more and applies more spiritual energy, "Some children who come here are youngest children from large families. They are sometimes not . . . in prime condition. It is difficult letting them return. Observing how your siblings interact with you, it was easy to conclude that you had liberated them from someone."
"But, you check on them?" Mimi stares down at the clan leader whose eyes were focused on healing her.
Putting his hand down, he looks up at her. Her emerald eyes still took him off guard.
"I check on them when I can. They often send letters, and I offer any support that I can provide. Even safe harbor here if they chose," the clan leader tilts his head at her, "how are your arms?"
Mimi bites her lip, "Sore."
He smiles and takes her hands in his, looking them over and seeing large scraps on her palms, "What were you doing?"
"I fell," Mimi watches him apply spiritual energy to her hands, utterly unafraid of her claws.
"On to what," he presses, his face close to her own.
"Would you believe a large white snake from the spirit world that had a sword stuck in his side?"
He snorts and turns his attention to her right hand; he gently strokes a hand over the ribbon embedded firmly in her wrist with questioning fingers.
"What is this?"
"Something of a birthmark."
The clan leader pulls up a stool and sucks in a breath at the bruises on her arms from being stuck in the snake's coils.
He begins administering spiritual energy once more, and Mimi watches the bruises one by one fade away.
"You puzzle me," the clan leader says softly as if he were talking to himself.
"I puzzle myself," Mimi laughs, and the clan leader smiles.
"You mentioned other siblings," Lan Xichen asks curiously, "Are they as boisterous as you?"
Mimi thinks of Yuanjun, and her chest tightens.
"Out of the four eldest children, the only one I consider to be one of my siblings is Yuanjun and, of course, my cubs. Lord Shen had him resurrected by a necromancer, but he didn't do it right."
Lan Xichen stares at her, his dark eyes full of understanding, "That is why you reacted to Master Wei the way you did."
"Partly," Mimi wrings her hands, "I didn't want my sisters around the ghosts either. My sisters are terrified of them."
The clan leader continues to stare at her, and Mimi realizes quickly he is in deep thought.
"He was the one that gave them the necklace and bracelet for protection?" Lan Xichen finally asks.
"How did you know?" Mimi smiles at him approvingly.
"I noticed it the day in the maze. And the fact that swords tend to bounce off them," the clan leader moves to her other arm and glowers darkly at the bruises here as well.
"A rat of that size could have really hurt a child like the youngest Shen. I noticed you holding the bracelet. At first, I thought it was perhaps like one of your gifts, but it lacked a certain . . . finesse. I did not put it together until now. He . . . is not around anymore?"
Mimi does not look at him; her heart is heavy. Lan Xichen summons his jade flute and plays a mournful funeral dirge upon it. The unexpected gesture leaves Mimi feeling awkwardly touched. When he finishes, Lan Xichen hums a little as he finishes healing her bruises.
"Thank you, clan leader. I feel much better now," Mimi reaches out and touches his hand.
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Shen."
The two of them stand awkwardly outside the infirmary. Mimi tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I should go and make sure my sisters are not being boisterous somewhere," Mimi laughs at the bemused expression on the clan leader's face.
"I am sure I have paperwork," the clan leader smiles tightly.
"I promised my sisters I would take them to the library today," Mimi looks him over, "perhaps I will see you there."
"Perhaps."
Mimi collapses on the mat next to the library window, her body weary. Dumplin crawls up on to her lap with a book in her hand.
"Would you read me this?" she asks, eyes large.
"That depends on the content," Mimi gently takes the book out of her hand and inspects it.
It was another book of fairytales, Mimi opens the book, and the first story is titled "The Ugly Golem."
"I find this one utterly offensive, cub. Is there another book you would like me to read you?"
Dumplin contemplates this request before once more disappearing in the stacks. Mimi had long ago lost track of Chen. Her little bookworm had walked into the shelves and not come out since they arrived. The library is empty. They had been there for an hour and no clan leader. Perhaps she had spooked him earlier. Mimi closes her eyes and is close to nodding off before she feels a tug on her sleeve. Dumplin is holding another book. This one very thick and weather-beaten.
"Alright, what do we have here?" Mimi takes the book and opens it. The title reads, 'How to Slay Demonic Forces."
Mimi glances at her little sister, "Cub, do you look at the titles of these before you grab them?"
"Sometimes," Dumplin looks down with a pout, "But this one looked pretty. You could make something up like last time."
Sitting up, Mimi holds her arms out for Dumplin, who climbs up on her lap, "What would you like to hear?"
"I would like to hear the story of the snake and the sword," the clan leader's voice rings clearly in the library.
Mimi sees him on the second story with Chen, looking a little sheepish with her stack of six books.
"Chen, I was wondering where you wandered off to," Mimi scolds playfully.
"What about the snake and the sword?" Dumplin asks, her big emerald eyes curious.
Ruefully looking at the clan leader who is gracefully descending from the second story, Mimi turns to her sibling, giving her massive puppy eyes.
The clan leader takes a seat at the desk in the middle of the room. Setting a large stack of paperwork down. As he prepares his ink Chen lumbers down and puts her books beside Mimi with a huff.
"A bit of light reading, cub?" Mimi asks Chen snorts and opens the one on the top, but her back is pressed against Mimi's legs.
Dumplin tugs on Mimi's sleeve to prompt her to start.
"Alright, fine," Mimi settles herself against the wall, stashing a pillow behind her back for support.
Wrapping her arms around Dumplin and giving the clan leader a scathing look, Mimi begins, "Once upon a time there was a beautiful white snake."
"Was it one of those things that attacked us when we came here?" Dumplin asks.
"No. This was just like a regular snake you would see in the forest, except this one is nearly the size of a river. It is beautiful and strange. It came from a land unknown, and it had been alive so long that it had forgotten its name."
"Like you?" Chen snickers but then looks at the clan leader and buries her nose in her book.
"I am not that old," Mimi snorts.
"One day, a fox woke up in a darkened wood. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. The path was unclear, and she was alone. Suddenly she smells an awful smell. Not knowing what else to do, the fox decided to follow the smell. Maybe she could find her way out of the woods if only she could figure out what the smell was. The woods were dark, and the smell became stronger and stronger until she comes to a stream. But this wasn't an ordinary stream."
"Was it a hot spring?" Chen asks, her book forgotten as she rests her head on Mimi's leg.
When did these children decide she was a piece of furniture? Mimi wonders.
"Perhaps it led to a cold spring?" Lan Xichen suggests from his desk with a smirk.
"Neither," Mimi shook her head superiorly, "the stream was filled with garbage. The poor fox looks at the sewage and garbage within the stream and wonders when she will ever return home."
"What kind of garbage?" Dumplin asks.
"All sorts of garbage," Mimi nuzzles her nose with Dumplin, "leftover food, what's left in a chamber pot, the remnants of clothing, things you've lost that will never be found. Anything you can think of has ended up in this stream. The water wasn't even water anymore. It was sludge. Murky and disgusting. There was no rhyme and reason. It was just there. The fox, as all foxes are, is clever. She thinks that if she can follow the river upstream, she will find someone or something that can help her leave to go home. She runs upstream. The smell is getting worse and worse. Finally, she reaches the source of the smell. A pond. Like a black hole, this pond has sucked in all the negativities in the world and let it fester."
"What's a black hole?" Chen asks curiously.
I've really done it now, Mimi thinks, looking over the clan leader who had paused in his writings to listen to her explanation as well.
"In the heavens, there are stars, but sometimes stars become tired of being beautiful things that people stare at. They want more, and this isn't a bad thing. A star will want and want until it finally becomes this sphere that pulls things from the heavens towards it. Everything close to the black hole will become sucked in. Becoming a part of the black hole forever. But it is never enough for black holes. They become bigger and bigger, trying to find what they want but never do."
"That makes sense," Dumplin wraps her arm around her sister and nestles closer, becoming more comfortable on Mimi's chest.
"But if you constantly want something, doesn't that mean that black holes will never be happy?" Lan Xichen asks, his hand resting on his chin.
At first, she thought he was messing with her as he had been earlier, but Mimi soon realizes he was asking her an honest philosophical question.
"I guess you can see it that way," Mimi concedes, "but I feel like constantly wanting something more is like a hunt. Wanting to discover and see new things. Collecting ideas and experiences. Something that drives you further than anything else will."
The clan leader seems to consider this for a moment before saying, "Yes. I can see the appeal. But you haven't said anything about the snake and the sword yet."
"I am getting to it," Mimi strokes her hand through Dumplin's hair.
"The fox is nearly driven mad by the smell. She even pukes in the grass nearby. How can I possibly come up with a way to get myself out of here if the smell is so bad? She thinks."
Her sisters chuckle at this but don't say anything.
"I will clean it myself, she thinks. Then I will be able to find my way! Because this fox is so clever, she etches runes into the banks. She scribbles and scribbles until the clear water emerges from the bank. But the fox isn't done. She sketches and scribbles until her paws are sore. Soon the entire pond is clean. But what about the stream? The stream still smells so bad. She will never be able to think of a way home. Soon the pond overflows into the stream and washes the garbage and sewage away. Making it disappear forever. The fox investigates the water, but she sees nothing that will help her. But along the bank, she sees little pink flowers pop out of the ground."
"What kind of flowers?" Dumplin asks, her voice a little sleepy.
"Erm," Mimi scratches her head, "the flowers were pink peonies. But the fox has no time for flowers. She has stuff to do. Seeing that there is nothing here, she can use the fox trots along the now clean stream. Suddenly before the fox can react, a giant white snake leaps from the stream and attacks the fox," Mimi feels Dumplin dig her fingers into her dress and decides to give her an edited version.
"But the fox is too quick and dodges," Mimi rubs her ribs and wishes she had had the sense to dodge, "and the snake says, 'Hello, I am sorry I scared you. I want to go home.'"
"Why couldn't the snake go home?" Dumplin asks, her large eyes shining.
"Because the snake had a huge sword stuck in its side," Mimi says, "but the fox is kind and thinks, well I want to go home too. Maybe we can help each other. The fox pulls and pulls, but the sword is not coming out. She gives one last pull kicking off the snake's side, and the sword comes out. But the snake is still hurt."
"Peonies have natural healing properties."
Mimi twitches and realizes that the voice came from the clan leader's younger brother.
Looking over, she realizes the clan leader and his brother were seated next to each other, looking over some papers. The younger brother looks up and makes eye contact with her. He repeats, "Peonies have natural healing properties."
"Second master lan is right, and that is exactly what the fox ends up doing," Mimi tries to ignore the intense stare of those eyes, "With the help of the fox, the snake is led up to the beautiful pond. The clear water is nice and refreshing. The fox carefully helps her new friend into the water. Before she can do anything else, the peonies that had grown on the pond drop their petals into the water. Hundreds of petals cover the surface of the water until the fox can no longer see the snake. But suddenly, the snake springs out of the water and dances a dance and sings a song. He thanks the fox over and over. He asks, 'What can I ever do to repay you for your kindness?' Well, the fox tells the snake that she is lost and wants to go home. 'I can do that,' the snake says, his white scales shifting into wings. Without further ado, the fox hops on the snakes back, and the snake takes her home. But they keep in touch and end up becoming good friends. The end."
Lan Xichen begins clapping, and Mimi feels like she wants to crawl under a rock.
"Excellent story," the clan leader praises, and Mimi could tell that the man had mischief in his smile.
"Why would a fox help a snake?" Lan Zhan asks solemnly.
Before Mimi could think of a coherent response, it was Dumplin that came to her rescue. Dumplin sits up and faces the expressionless cultivator.
She points her finger at him and says, "Because they are friends! It is good to help your friends, no matter what!"
The clan leader's face is positively gleeful as he watches his brother try to think of an argument to match the pint-sized girl's reasoning.
Lan Zhan finally relents and bows to Dumplin, "You are right. I apologize."
The white-cloaked cultivator left soon after that, having only come to check on his brother after not finding him in the offices. Mimi stretches her arms over her head, dislodging her sisters.
"Can I come back tomorrow to read these books, clan leader?" Chen asks, pointing at the stack sitting by her feet.
"Of course! The books cannot leave the library, but you may come here as often as you like. Curfew is at eight o'clock."
Chen turns her head with pleading eyes to Mimi, who is immediately taken aback at the force of the puppy dog eyes. How did she lose control, she thinks?
"Of course, we can come back tomorrow," Mimi says, stealing a glance at the clan leader who smiles happily down at his paperwork.