"Good Lord, Daiyu must think Cloud Recesses is a third world country," Mimi gasps as she pulls out an entire ham from the basket, followed by jars and jars of preserves.
Pulling at a string of smoked sausages, Mimi felt a little hysterical, "It just keeps going."
"Cub, okay?" Mameki stares at the giant pile of food with a mix of awe and trepidation.
"I just met the Golden Phoenix," Mimi laughs hysterically, "and her extremely generous wife. I won't have to go shopping for weeks!"
"Mameki, think cub need rest."
"They want to form an alliance," Mimi runs her hands through her hair, "and want to meet Chen and Dumplin. I don't know what to do."
"Mameki, think good plan. Cubs safe in large numbers. Big fox ally. Ask cubs. See."
"I will ask," Mimi feels jittery, "Are they still on the cultivation fields?"
"Library. It rain. Clan leader took cubs to library."
Mimi bolts to the door and walks quickly across the grass to the library. She quietly enters and then pauses, putting her hand over her mouth.
Dumplin stood on a large cushion balancing precariously atop it on one leg as she attempted and failed to braid the clan leader's long black hair. Chen, who Mimi instantly wanted to give a cookie, stood behind her sibling, giving her more and more complicated instructions as the clan leader's hair became an even more frazzled mess. The clan leader, for his part, is serenely looking over paperwork on his desk. Trying to be still for the small child.
Mimi could have stayed and watched this develop further until a certain necromancer announces her presence with a shrill shout from the second story, "Eldest Lady Shen! What is this about you beating me with only your feet!?"
Four things happen almost simultaneously. The black-cloaked cultivator is whisked off his feet in a bridal style movement by a cross looking Lan Zhan, who drags him screaming into the dark recesses of the library. The clan leader stands with such force that it startles Dumplin into falling sideways. Realizing his mistake, Lan Xichen catches her like a football before she could even realize she is falling, cradling her to his chest. He comically looks straight up at the ceiling, hunting for Master Wei. Chen, instantly realizing she is caught, immediately raises a book to hide her face. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi, who Mimi hadn't even realized were practicing handstands against the wall, hit the floor with a resounding thud.
"It is official," Mimi mutters, "I am the bringer of chaos."
"Mimi!" Dumplin greets happily from Lan Xichen's arms as Chen dutifully slinks up to her eldest sister with a passable 'I can explain' look on her face before giving her a hug.
"Are you two cubs, okay?" Mimi glances at Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui, who were rubbing their heads.
"We're fine, Eldest Lady Shen," Lan Sizhui says at the same time Lan Jingyi says, "I broke his fall with my head."
Mimi steps over to the desk and smiles at the clan leader, eyeing his hair with amusement. Dumplin wriggles her arms at Mimi, and Mimi nuzzles her nose against hers.
"Sorry I'm late. What have you been doing?"
"The clan leader let me braid his pretty hair!" Dumplin says proudly as Mimi grabs hold of Chen's sleeve as she tries to scurry away.
"His hair is very pretty. You did a very good job," Mimi compliments, winking at the clan leader who turns a little pink.
"I'm still hungry," Dumplin complains as Mimi liberates her from the clan leader's arms.
"Didn't you just have lunch?" Mimi asks, looking to the clan leader for confirmation, who nods.
"Yeah," Dumplin blinks innocently at her.
"Chen, why don't you take Dumplin back to the residence and help yourself to what I brought home."
Chen needs no further prompting and scoops up Dumplin like a sack of potatoes before heading out the door.
"Tell me, how bad is it?" the clan leader asks, reaching back to touch his hair.
"On a scale of one through ten, you would probably be an eleven," Mimi sits on the cushion that Dumplin had previously vacated.
"May I?" she asks and sees him slowly nod as he sits down.
"I suppose I should have been warned when the second eldest Shen said, 'put it in the hole like a jackrabbit and have it bounce around three times.'"
Mimi giggles and out of the corner of her eye watches the two young cultivators' wave to her as they quickly exit.
"Where were you at lunch?" the clan leaders asks curiously as Mimi gently pulls Dumplin's red ribbon from his hair.
"After I dropped Chen and Dandan off, I wanted to check the barriers near the cold springs," Mimi almost sighs as she runs her fingers through his soft hair. It was just as smooth as her wife's silky tresses.
"I heard a scream, and I thought perhaps it was Lan Sizhui or Lan Jingyi," she felt him freeze under her touch, but Mimi pats his back soothingly.
"I followed the screams and realized it was coming from a nag. It had ripped its head apart," Mimi pauses in running her fingers through the clan leader's hair at the remembrance.
The clan leader looks over his shoulder at her trying to assess if she needed medical attention.
"I'm fine. Turn around, or I won't continue," Mimi watches him turn around, and she continues pulling at the knots her sisters had woven into his hair.
"This sickness the nag seem to suffer from," the clan leader says, "I have seen them do this before. It is not pleasant to observe."
"It is not. The reason I was late is that I was kidnapped," Mimi begins trying to unravel the strange braid Dumplin had invented.
The clan leader whips around and touches her wrist, "Kidnapped?"
Mimi feels her cheeks warm as she gestures for him to turn around. He does so unwillingly.
"Apparently," Mimi resumes untying her sister's mess, "I have kin living in your mountains. An older sister and her . . . cultivation partner. My sister took me to her manor in a cave."
"You were not aware of her presence until now?" the clan leader asks with confusion.
"I had no idea," the tone of Mimi's voice seems to alleviate any doubts the clan leader had about her truthfulness.
"You should invite them to Cloud Recesses. I would like to meet them," the clan leader says, and Mimi smirks, curious as to what this man would do when faced with the gentle jorogumo and her sister.
"I am not sure what to make of them yet. My sister seems friendly enough. Her cultivation partner is very nice and gave me a large basket of food that I nearly had to drag along the ground."
Lan Xichen huffs in amusement at this imagery, "Are you going to bring your sisters to visit her?"
"She is very eager to meet them. Apparently, there is some bad blood between her and Lord Shen, and she never got to meet Chen or Dumplin."
"That is a pity. They are charming children," Lan Xichen says evenly, enjoying the woman's touch on his scalp.
Mimi barks out a laugh and gives his hair a gentle tug, "High praise indeed coming from someone in your position."
A heavy thump resounds from above them. Both Mimi and Lan Xichen look up toward the ceiling.
"I apologize for what Master Wei said earlier," Lan Xichen confesses, trying to subtly lean back further into the Lady Shen's presence.
"I pity him," Mimi notices the subtle distribution in weight and smirks. Her wife had reminded Mimi on many occasions of a touch starved cat, "You did not see your brother's face as he dragged Master Wei away between the shelves."
"Did he now?" the clan leader looks up to the ceiling once again, his face unreadable.
"Yes, he did not look happy," Mimi runs her fingers repeatedly through the now untangled black hair, enjoying the feel of it.
Not wanting to lose this opportunity, Mimi looks down to see the clan leader's forehead band neatly folded lying on the desk.
Carefully picking it up, she drapes the forehead ribbon around the clan leader's head and tries to neatly tie the ribbon within the folds of his gorgeous hair. She didn't notice how his body froze and tightened up as she carefully adjusts the length of the ribbon. Mimi also overlooked the younger brother creeping down the stairs with Wei Ying, who sulkily rubbed at his lower back. Lan Zhan watches as Mimi's fingers tinker with styling the familiar ribbon before Wei Wuxian nudges him forward.
"Can you face me please? Just for a moment," Mimi asks, and the clan leader dutifully turns his head.
His face is bright red. Perhaps he is too warm, Mimi thinks, as she adjusts the forehead ribbon so that it is perfectly straight.
"I hope that is alright. I tried my best to duplicate the style, but I might have . . ."
She does not expect such a mixture of panic and tenderness in the clan leader's eyes. A little panicked herself, Mimi reaches out to straighten the already perfectly straight headband. He gently grabs her wrists and lowers them, "I am sure it is perfect . . . just fine."
This is when Lan Xichen notices his brother and Master Wei trying to blend in with the bookshelves behind her. His eyes meet his brothers. Lan Zhan looks at Mimi, contemplating her before nodding his acceptance. He tugs his cultivation partner from the library. Lan Xichen strokes her wrist once before gently putting them in her lap.
"I should really make sure my sisters haven't stuffed themselves," Mimi nervously tucks her hair behind her ear.
"Of course, will I see you at dinner?" Lan Xichen stands and helps her up off the pillow.
"I believe so," Mimi adjusts her skirts around her tails, "the children have the day off from lessons tomorrow, correct?"
"Yes," Lan Xichen smiles, "the children should at least have weekends off. I do intend to start the youngest Shen's art lessons on Monday. The classroom needed to be aired out."
"No rush. I was thinking of taking my sisters to town tomorrow, depending on if it will rain," Mimi finally steps away from the desk.
He follows her, "Did you need something from town?"
"I need to pick up some dresses for the girls and maybe just wander around," Mimi faces the clan leader, "Were you going to be in town, clan leader?"
"I had not thought about it," the clan leader muses.
"Perhaps you should join us?" Mimi offers.
Mimi laughs a little at the clan leader's unexpected awkwardness. She notices part of the headband ribbon had slipped over his shoulder.
"Here, hold still," Mimi brushes the light blue ribbon over his shoulder, "There you are presentable," Mimi does not quite realize how close she is to his face before she looks up at him.
"I wasn't presentable before?" Lan Xichen says in a low voice, his eyes dark.
Mimi is saved by the library door opening, and Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi arguing about a lost handkerchief.
Stepping away from Lan Xichen, Mimi decides to retreat, "Well, see you at dinner."
She waves and scoots out the library, in much the same way Chen did before her. Lan Xichen touches his forehead band and sighs, staring after the strange woman.
Entering the residence with a stupid grin on her face, Mimi doesn't immediately see Chen with her hand in a jaw of preserves and Dumplin waiting with her mouth open.
"Umm, cubs?" Mimi summons a plate and sets it in front of them, "Use bread and a knife. Not your fingers."
Licking her thumb, Mimi brushes a bit of jam off Dumplin's cheek.
"So, we have something to discuss," Mimi sits down at the table.
"Dumplin wanted to braid the clan leader's hair. I was just trying to help," Chen immediately babbles.
Pressing her hands to her face, Mimi chuckles, pulling her youngest sister on to her lap, "Honestly, I'm not even mad. I probably should be," Mimi glares at Chen, "but I'm not."
"But I do want to talk to you two about something," Mimi waits for Chen to sit down.
"I met our eldest sister the Golden Phoenix today," Mimi watches the shock register on Chen's face, but this does not mean anything to Dumplin, who looks up at her with confusion.
"Her wife is the one who gave us those preserves you've been munching on," Mimi looks at the nearly empty jar in surprise.
"Was it good?" Mimi dips a little bread in and puts it into her mouth. It was like raspberries and rhubarb mixed with strawberries.
"Okay, that is good," Mimi groans, "but what I wanted to ask is that she really wants to meet you two and join our clans together. I think this would be a good idea. But you don't have to meet her if you don't want to."
"Why does she want to meet us?" Dumplin asks with confusion.
"Because she is our eldest sister and never got to meet you two. I think she has been waiting for a long time."
"She knew our names?" Chen asks, "Why didn't she visit?"
"She and her wife know your names. From what I gathered," Mimi dips another piece of bread into the preserves, "is that she dislikes Lord Shen. But has been unable to get to you two."
"I should warn you," Mimi says, "Her wife is a jorogumo. She looks like a large spider. That might be a little . . . intense for you both."
"Spiders?" Chen tilts her head to the side in thought, and Dumplin tugs on the front of Mimi's dress, "The pretty spiders?"
"Wait, does this mean something to you two?" Mimi looks between the children, mystified.
"Jorogumo can control spiders!" Chen grins delightedly, "The spiders in our bedroom let us pet them, and they made us pretty webs! The spiders were red and black."
Mimi opens and closes her mouth, remembering the red and black silk the jorogumo was wearing. Looks like someone else had been keeping an eye on her cubs.
"So, what do you think? Did you want to meet them? If you don't like them, we can leave right away. I won't make you stay."
"When can we meet them?" Chen seemed to need no further prompting.
"Will they have more of these?" Dumplin asks as Mimi dips a piece of bread and gives it to her.
"I am sure they will," Mimi snickers, "Alright, no more, we have dinner in a few hours. How about Sunday? We have to pick up your new dresses tomorrow in town, but how about the day after?"
"Is the clan leader coming?" Chen asks, mischief in her eyes.
"He said he might. Oh Dumplin, you are starting your art classes on Monday. Do you guys like him?" Mimi begins setting jars into the cupboards.
"He told me," Dumplin sits primly on her chair, "I like him."
"Yeah, he's really nice," Chen agrees with a grin on her face.
"Alright then," Mimi smiles.