Waving at Daiyu and Qiaolian, Mimi helps Chen and Dumplin down from the foxfire. The two sisters immediately hide behind Mimi.
"It's alright, cubs," Mimi whispers, and Chen and Dumplin slowly come out from behind her, but they still clung tight to her side.
They had never seen another fox spirit outside their immediate family before. Mimi could tell without looking at them that the cubs were in awe of the hundreds of foxtails their eldest sister displayed. Seeing the cub's mistrust, Qiaolian and Daiyu slowly approach. Mimi realizes that Daiyu is wearing a fox spirit enchantment to make her look like a normal woman.
"I am so glad you could come to visit us so soon," Qiaolian bows to the trio of sisters, "We have a really fantastic lunch ready. I hope you're hungry!"
Mimi beckons to her little sisters, and they warily come out fully from behind Mimi, "Chen, Dandan, this is our eldest sister Qiaolian and her wife, Daiyu. Won't you say hello?"
"Hello?" Qiaolian says immediately as her wife pokes her in the side and says, "I believe she was referring to the children."
"Am I not a child?" Qiaolian argues back, sticking her lips out in a pout.
This gets a snicker out of Chen, and Mimi could feel Dumplin relax a little.
"Why don't we go eat?" Mimi looks down at the cubs, and they incrementally nod.
"Wonderful," Daiyu claps her hands together, "my sisters and I made a little bit of everything."
With her little sisters flanking her, Mimi follows Qiaolian and Daiyu through the cave and into the cozy-looking manor.
Mimi feels a tug at her skirts and picks Dumplin up. Dumplin is staring at the lotus flowers in fascination. The lotus flowers blooming in a strange array of different colors.
"Are they supposed to be that color?" Dumplin whispers, and Mimi could tell that her littlest sister is itching to get her hands on a paintbrush.
"I breed them myself," Qiaolian brags from a foot away. She bends down and picks a deep orange lotus flower and hands it to Mimi.
Mimi holds the flower up to Dumplin, who takes it eagerly, studying the petals with her fingertips.
"How do you do that?" Chen asks softly from beside Mimi.
"Trial and error mostly," Qiaolian says, trying not to scare the child.
"When you live for a long time, you can see patterns in how certain flowers grow," Daiyu adds, taking her wife's hand.
"Roses are the devil handmaidens, though," Qiaolian sulks, "I can never get roses to grow here. I think it's the soil."
Daiyu and Qiaolian lead the way through the room Mimi had been 'shown' into the last time and kept going through the door until they reach a sizable dining room that is covered in large platters. It seems Daiyu had been humble when she said, "a little bit of everything."
"Are your sisters going to be joining us?" Mimi asks the jorogumo curiously.
The incredibly petite woman makes a strange clicking sound, and Mimi recalls that this is her way of laughing, "They are patrolling the borders. Enjoying a bit of a finer vintage. They send their regards, though, and would like to meet you at some point. My clan does not get to see children very often."
Mimi raises an eyebrow at this interesting information, an unsettling image of the woman before her sipping nag juices out of a crazy straw took over her mind.
"Are you a spider?" Dumplin asks as Mimi sets her on a chair beside Chen.
Qiaolian begins to snicker at Daiyu's surprised expression.
The jorogumo daintily sets a handkerchief on her lap. Hoping she is not offended, Mimi is about to open her mouth when Daiyu suddenly smiles.
"Well, it's been a while since I have been referred to as such, but yes," Daiyu looks over at Qiaolian, "Qiaolian is disguising my more spidery features. I did not want to scare you."
"But didn't you send us red and black spiders to play with?" Chen asks curiously.
Mimi begins filling the children's plates, leaning forward with interest to hear this.
"Does that upset you? Your sister and I did our best to outmaneuver the wards about the Shen manor. Still, I was only able to send spiders in to keep you company," Daiyu's eyes waver a little with rage before it disappears completely.
"No," Chen and Dumplin say at the same time.
"We really liked the spiders. They let us pet them and made us pictures in their webs," Chen says excitedly.
Mimi could tell immediately when Qiaolian drops the glamour on Daiyu. Daiyu becomes significantly larger, exposing her spider legs and arms. The children stare at her for just a moment but do not scream. Mimi had done her best to prepare them for it. Daiyu looks over at Qiaolian and grins toothily at her like she won a bet. As Mimi thinks this, Qiaolian subtly takes out a money pouch and scoots it across the table to her wife.
"What is the deal with the parasol?" Qiaolian asks with evident confusion. Daiyu had undoubtedly clued her in.
Mimi would have loved to have heard that conversation.
"Mameki lives with us at Cloud Recesses!" Dumplin says, looking over at Mimi, who affectionately ruffles her hair.
"What . . . is a Mameki?" Qiaolian asks Mimi with interest.
"Mameki is a spirit friend of the cubs," Mimi tries to explain, "he cooks and has taught the children to read and write. He likes to babysit. From what the cubs have been telling me, he defended them from ghosts."
"Huh," Qiaolian says eloquently, but her expression softens, "I would like to meet him then."
"We would like to meet him," Daiyu corrects.
"He actually taught the cubs the most gorgeous calligraphy," Mimi brags. She looks over at Dumplin, who is holding her portfolio tightly.
Mimi smiles tenderly at Dumplin, having no idea she was going to bring it, and says, "Go ahead."
To Daiyu and Qiaolian, Mimi says, "Dumplin wants to show you her watercolors. The sketches are really good."
"I would love to see them!" Daiyu claps her hands enthusiastically.
"As would I," Qiaolian smiles at her wife's enthusiasm before turning her attention to Chen.
Dumplin carefully maneuvers herself out of her chair and scurries across the floor to Daiyu, who takes the portfolio with her human hand, "Thank you, child."
"I have heard on the wind you are becoming an excellent swordswoman, like your aunt Daiyu," Qiaolian says to Chen.
Mimi looks overs at Chen, who is enthusiastically eating everything on her plate.
"Chen and Dumplin are learning cultivation from the clan leader at Cloud Recesses. I am very proud of them both," Mimi nudges her little sister and brushes back the hair away from her face.
Qiaolian raises the familiar-looking claws, "Never been able to handle a sword or spiritual weapons. But I was a fairly good archer in my day. I can teach you if you would like to add it to your repertoire."
Chen nods excitedly, as does Dumplin.
"I can give you both a lesson after lunch if that is acceptable," Qiaolian looks to Mimi for permission, and Mimi is surprised at this, thinking her eldest sister would overstep her bounds.
"That sounds good," Mimi says, and Chen practically bounces in her seat with excitement.
"Darling," Daiyu says, looking through the paintings that Dumplin had handed her.
"Yes, sweetmeat?" Qiaolian asks, scooting her chair across the floor to look over her mate's shoulder.
"Aren't these lovely?" Daiyu says, carefully passing the stack to her wife.
"Are all of these of Cloud Recesses?" Qiaolian asks Dumplin curiously.
"Yes, they are all of Cloud Recesses," Dumplin, who had returned to her seat, beams at the praise.
Daiyu selects a portrait and holds it up for the group to see, "Is this the clan leader you speak of?"
Mimi smiles; Dumplin had captured him perfectly. He is standing on the cultivation fields, demonstrating a sword movement. The sword twisting over his head.
"Yes, that is him," Mimi says carefully.
Qiaolian and Daiyu share a knowing glance before continuing to leaf through the watercolors.
Mimi and Daiyu sat off to the side on the grass beside the waterfall as Chen and Dumplin shoot at targets with pint-sized longbows.
"How is your relationship with the clan leader progressing?" Daiyu asks, knitting something with her spidery hands.
"Umm," Mimi flushes.
"I apologize. That was a rather personal question," Daiyu chuckles, "I did see you two at the border before you left. You looked . . . happy, and I was curious."
"I . . . feel we have become closer," Mimi confesses, not entirely sure of herself.
"Are you friends?" Daiyu asks.
"I like to think so," Mimi says with a laugh.
"I approve of this slow approach," Daiyu clicks her mandibles, "Your darling sister over there attempted to seduce me with a light show in the forest. She was dancing in only her tails. I had only known of her for two days," Daiyu's tone is very dry as if she still held it against the fox spirit, "It did not work."
"That wasn't an image I wanted in my head," Mimi chuckles, watching Qiaolian correct Dumplin's posture.
"You two seem very happy," Mimi quirks an eye at the jorogumo, who sighs, "Yes, we walk the line between attraction and annoyance daily."
Mimi smirks, thinking of a pair in Cloud Recesses that also seemed to fit that description.
"The children obviously adore him," Daiyu observes with a smile.
"They do. He is going to start teaching Dumplin art classes tomorrow," Mimi says fondly.
"That is wonderful," Daiyu smiles widely, revealing some large teeth, "the little one has such an eye for art."
They sat in comfortable silence before Mimi asks something that had been on her mind since her last visit.
"I get the feeling that Qiaolian doesn't like cultivators," Mimi says, leaning against a tree.
"That mongrel doesn't like a lot of things," Daiyu chitters, looking upon her wife affectionately, "But you are right. Qiaolian is not fond of cultivators, but she is trying to play nice for your sake and the sake of the cubs. Right now, she is sulking that the clan leader has been able to spend more time with the children than she has."
"He invited you two down to Cloud Recesses," Mimi offers, and the jorogumo chitters to her.
"Does he know what we are, what you are?" Daiyu clicks her mandibles together.
Mimi doesn't answer, and Daiyu puts a human hand on her shoulder, "He is very kind. I know this, and from what you have already said, he is your mate's reincarnation. But I also think bringing my wife down there would lead to explosions, and I do not want to deal with that."
Dumplin runs over panting and lays in Mimi's lap, still gripping her bow.
"You done, cub?" Mimi asks, and Dumplin nods, "My arms hurt."
Summoning a little ball of foxfire, Mimi splits it in two and rubs her fingers over the child's arms, instantly soothing them. Dumplin doesn't move from Mimi's lap.
"Did you like archery?" Mimi asks, ruffling her hair.
"Yes, very much. I'm not very good, though," Dumplin pouts.
"That is why you practice," Daiyu smiles, taking out a small dagger and without looking chucks it at a target.
The eldest fox spirit yelps in surprise, "You got a bullseye, and I love you for that, but I am working here!"
"That is so cool!" Dumplin states, "Can you show me how you did that?"
"Of course, little one," Daiyu promises, "How about next time? It will give me time to have my smaller daggers polished."
"Can I, Mimi?" Dumplin asks, looking up at her sister.
"I don't see why not. I want you to learn what I could not," Mimi kisses the top of her head and almost misses Daiyu's delighted smile.
"What? You didn't think we were coming back?" Mimi asks.
"We hope," Daiyu looks over at Qiaolian fondly.
"Can I please have some watercolors, Mimi?" Dumplin asks softly, and Mimi waves her hand and summons Dumplin's set from home.
"What will you draw, cub?" Daiyu asks curiously.
"I love your lotus flowers," Dumplin blushes a little, and Daiyu smiles.
"They are quite lovely," Daiyu agrees before holding out a silk flower crown that had knitted lotus flowers, "Here, why don't you take this?"
Dumplin leaves Mimi's lap and scoots across the grass to kneel by the jorogumo's spidery legs.
"May I put it on you?" Daiyu asks, trying not to spook the child.
Dumplin nods and turns around as Mimi had taught her. Daiyu looks a little stunned at the large mass of red curls but carefully runs her spider fingers through the child's hair, effectively untangling the knots as if she were spinning a web.
"She has thick hair, doesn't she," Mimi sits back and watches with a smile.
The jorogumo looks quite content sitting there. Seeing Mimi's perusal, Daiyu says, "I have had plenty of practice on my own sisters."
"Oh, I wasn't questioning your abilities," Mimi watches Dumplin lean back into Daiyu's hands, "you just look very happy."
"I am very happy," Daiyu begins to braid the flower crown into Dumplin's hair, "It is not perfect, but I am hoping that somehow we will become a family again."
Mimi looks down at Dumplin's contented face as she reaches for her watercolors and begins to paint from memory. Daiyu watches the child's progress from over her shoulder, her expression unexpectedly soft.
"I am willing to work on it," Mimi says, and Daiyu gives her a spidery grin.
"So, would you like us to come over next weekend?" Mimi asks Qiaolian as they stand at the border of Cloud Recesses.
Qiaolian looks over at the small children waving their bows at her from right inside the barrier. She is still reeling from the hugs her littlest sisters had given her.
"Next weekend is fine. Daiyu and I patrol together in the evenings, so any time in the mornings or early afternoons is fine," Qiaolian finally answers.
"That sounds good," Mimi reaches out for Qiaolian's arm as she is about to leave.
"I wanted to ask you something," Mimi bites her lip, keeping an eye on the children, "is your offer to join your clan still stand?"
"Yes, of course," Qiaolian puts her hands behind her back.
"I . . . would like to do this, especially for the girls," Mimi pauses, "They should have more of their family around."
"And what about you?" Qiaolian asks.
"I would like to join the clan as well," Mimi finally says, and Qiaolian reaches out and tugs her sister into a hug.
"I think this is an excellent idea," Qiaolian says with a toothy grin quite like her wife's.
"It was your idea originally," Mimi reminds. She felt weirdly comfortable in her eldest sister's arms.
"Yeah, it was, but I was worried you would say no," Qiaolian says, and then she remembers, "You don't think you will survive the tasks."
"I will do my damndest to survive, but I want to know they will be safe if something does happen to me," Mimi leans away from Qiaolian, "Well, it's getting close to dinner," Mimi rolls her eyes, "I can't be late."
"This conversation isn't over," Qiaolian says, as Mimi steps through the barrier.
"I know," Mimi sighs, "and be sure we will talk about it, but . . ." Mimi looks over her shoulders at the waiting girls.
"Right," Qiaolian nods understandingly, but she is also worried, "But look, you are also my little sister too, and I want to protect you as well. Even if it's from yourself."