Mouse 1

AN: Since this appears to have gotten lost in the shuffle somewhere.

“What an insult that two daughters of the great Bai are expected to stay in hovels with the riff raff.”

Bai Meizhen did not reply aloud to her cousin. The small jade scaled watersnake was curled about her wrist like a bracelet, to avoid too much alarm. It was shameful, but many things were shameful, not the least being sent here in the first place, to ‘learn’ at the institution of a lesser province.

And of course, the cowardly children around her did not even dare glance her way. Respectful perhaps but… disappointing in its way.

She understood hat she was owed as a Bai, but surely there was more to deference than avoidance.

“Hmph what is this I see, who dares approach?” Cui wondered.

Bai Meizhen raised her head, bemused. She had not felt anything at all, so who indeed…

A mortal?

She understood why she had not felt anything. What was something like that doing here? Were some clans so low that they did not even awaken their scions before sending them out into the world?

“Hello, I am Ling Qi. May I have your name?”

The girls voice trembled, full of anxiety. Bai Meizhen stared at her, the incomplete introduction hanging heavy in the air. What was a simple name supposed to tell her? Which Ling clan? She knew of two the Emerald Seas alone. What was this girl playing at?

“Bai Meizhen of the Thousand Lakes province Bai clan.”

If any could leave such things off it was her. Yet she chose to be generous.

“Cousin, what are you doing? This mouse does not even deserve your words.”

“Why did you not finish your introduction?” Bai Meizhen finished.

She needed to at least know who was attempting to ingratiate themselves and who they were working for. They were alone here, cut off from the clan. Cui accepted these thoughts grudgingly

“I did.”

Meizhen gave the girl an unimpressed look and watched sweat break out on her brow.

“I mean, I am from the Emerald Seas province. I don’t have a clan though.”

An actual commoner then. She lightened her expression, even as she suppressed her beffudlement. A mortal commoner. What did one even say to that? She had never spoken to one before, nor even seen one save at great distance from the high balconys of manors in Zhengjian, that peaked over the walls of the inner city.

“Pff, an ignorant sleeper, I see. Cousin is generous.”

“I…see. What is it you require then? I am afraid I have not been granted enough allowance to hire a maidservent.” Well she vaguely understood that mortals were very poor so perhaps not, but she did not need one.

Ah, but her words seemed to have upset the lanky mortal. She took offense and even showed it on her face. That was… unique. Even if it was partly ignorance that was certainly brave of her.

"I was actually thinking we could be friends. We're both cultivators, right? You seem like you could use a friend, and besides we have to pair off for housing anyway."

“There is ignorance and then there is this. How absurd, even a little hatchling should be able to sense the difference between us!”  Cui exclaimed, affronted.

Bai Meizhen had to agree, what an absurd statement. It flew in the face of all propriety. This girl was fortunate that she was more patient than most. Her kin would punish such an insult mortal or no. And yet… It wasn;t wrong. She passed her senses over the other young noblewomen around her surreptitiously watching and whispering, and shrinking terrified when they felt her attention.

…Better a brave child than pathetic peers, perhaps.

“I, Cui cannot believe you cousin. Do you truly believe you cannot get a hovel to yourself whatever the Elders say?”

Perhaps, but why buy trouble?

Besides, there was something endearing about this mortal, Ling Qi’s sincerity… would it be so bad to indulge her for a few short months?

I suppose that is acceptable," Bai Meizhen said thoughtfully. She would go along with this if only to see the expressions of the others around her. "I will warn you however. Do not approach me while I sleep, it is likely that you would die."

“Hmph, at least you remember that I, Cui have limits to my tolerance,” her cousin hissed.

“I'll keep that in mind. That would be pretty unfortunate wouldn't it,” the girl said nervously. Good she had not taken it as jest.

"It would be unpleasant to lose my first friend to something so avoidable.”

The girl had narrowed her eyes, perhaps searching for a hidden insult. There was none, unless one counted her humoring the use of the word friend.

"I was thinking we might talk someone else into joining us. Safety in numbers, you know? Would you have a problem with that?"

“Ah, so there is a backer! What an odd plot. If they wished to ally themselves to us,” Cui grumbled..

She had to agree though. Cowardly, but she supposed the Bai clan did have a reputation. However if this commoner was from their fief… a local consultant to the Emerald Seas landscape could be useful. "It would likely be difficult to convince another to share a space with me. I would not object in principle though, did you have someone in mind?"

"That girl, the one with red hair, she's alone too."

“What.”

What.

"You… wish to share a roof with her? That is the eldest granddaughter of Sun Shao, Sun Liling,” The words slipped out ahead of her thoughts. Her incredulity stretched. Perhaps she was not recognized by these Emerald Seas bumpkins. It was one thing to hear a distant name but without the sharp delineation of a spirit bloodline, one could be mistaken.

No more likely. This had all been a mere child’s prank at her expense, something for that wretched Sun to laugh over with her hangers on.

"...Who?"

"The Butcher of the West. The Scarlet General. King of the Western Territories."

Only the last title drew any recognition. If this was merely a prank, this poor commoner was likely only a catspaw in it, used for her ignorance.

"What is someone like that doing here?" Ling Qi asked, incredulous.

“...Even I, Cui, accept that she is just a fool.”

“I do not know, her presence here is bizarre,” Bai Meizhen replied honestly. Perhaps Sun Shao was seeking connections down here in the south.

The girl asked again, with the same stubborn sincerity if there was a reason not to approach Sun Liling, as if the great grudge did not exist. Bai Meizhen shook her head as she stalked off. What a bizarre prank.

She was a little sad, if she was honest with herself. It might have been nice to have someone else to talk to, ignorant or no.