169 » close your eyes, clear your heart
[It's a beautiful day in Liyue Harbor. The last several days have been overshadowed by sheets of rain; nothing so overbearing or dramatic as a thunderstorm, just steady, relentless, soaking rain. So this morning, Baizhu opened the doors and shutters of Bubu Pharmacy with a smile, letting in the soft breeze and the sunlight.
It also promises to be a warm day, so he sends Qiqi and Changsheng together into the city, to handle a list of errands. As long as the morning stays cool, Qiqi should be fine. He can't very well go himself - a line is already forming. Patients who haven't been able to make the trip in the rain, perhaps.
He's thinking about stopping for a bite to eat, and some herbal tea, when a shadow falls across his doorstep. Baizhu hums, turning carefully in his chair, pushing his spectacles a bit higher on his nose.]
Ah! Aether, what a pleasant surprise.
[While he wasn't expecting a visit from the traveler today, he would have to be in dire straits indeed to greet Aether with anything but a warm welcome.]
I sincerely hope you are here cordially, and not because you've been feeling under the weather.
It also promises to be a warm day, so he sends Qiqi and Changsheng together into the city, to handle a list of errands. As long as the morning stays cool, Qiqi should be fine. He can't very well go himself - a line is already forming. Patients who haven't been able to make the trip in the rain, perhaps.
He's thinking about stopping for a bite to eat, and some herbal tea, when a shadow falls across his doorstep. Baizhu hums, turning carefully in his chair, pushing his spectacles a bit higher on his nose.]
Ah! Aether, what a pleasant surprise.
[While he wasn't expecting a visit from the traveler today, he would have to be in dire straits indeed to greet Aether with anything but a warm welcome.]
I sincerely hope you are here cordially, and not because you've been feeling under the weather.
no subject
[The expression Aether wears, the pitch of his words as he speaks each one - the man's giving him a riddle of sorts, isn't he? A little diagnostic puzzle to turn over in his mind while the tea steeps.
How delightful.
Baizhu gently adjusts his spectacles so that he's looking at Aether over the top edge of glass.]
I imagine he suffered from whatever happens to him on each second day of the month - or perhaps the first, depending on the specifics. A stomachache is a fairly common symptom for many conditions, after all. It's the week of debilitation that stands out.
[How does a man get any work done with a condition that separates him from it for one week of every month, he wonders?]
A little too much self-indulgence after receiving his pay, perhaps? Or the horrible anticipation of an unavoidable visit from family he would rather forget?