The child looked at the doctor's outstretched hand, palm up as if waiting for something to be placed on it. He looked up, at the doctor's radiant grin, then back down at the hand before him. No one has ever asked him for a red envelope before, and it's been years, decades even, since he received one himself--Lien Si had nearly forgotten about the tradition.
The area of the pavilion they were in was roofed and looked out over the lake--the view of the lake was unobstructed save for a few supporting pillars and matching railings. At its center was a stone table, it's marbled top polished from years of use and wear that it reflected as well as a mirror. The table itself was asymmetrical, a direct horizontal cut from a larger piece of marble, and surrounding it was a number of matching stools from the same quarry. Although the area was fenced in by railings, from the deck where the table stood it was easy even for a child to look over the protective bars and admire the breathtaking view.((Totally copy/pasted this bit from another RP
The weather was great, and with the help of two heating lamps that the doctor had placed around the table, the two of them were quite warm. Warm enough for the doctor to emerge from under his many layers of furs. Muoh Li actually looked human again, instead of resembling a walking carpet. Keeping his musings to himself, Lien Si dug around one sleeve and pulled out a small bottle, which he then placed on Muoh Li's outstretched hand.
"What? Hey, this is the bottle of medicine that I gave you! And it's nearly empty too? What have you been doing-- ugh. Shouldn't have expected much from you," despite his complaining, the doctor took out a packet and refilled the bottle, mumbling under his breath the whole time, "And for you to be in your child form around New Years, you're just expecting to get red envelopes instead of giving them aren't you? Trickster."
Lien Si watched with feigned interest as the doctor worked, noticing how nimble Muoh Li's fingers were despite the cold and Muoh Li's constant complaining. "I thought you'd be visiting your family," the child commented--it sounded more like a statement and less of an inquiry.
The doctor's movements slowed as he glanced at Lien Si, the child's head laying on the stone table, big eyes looking up at him. It was a reasonable question, and last year Muoh Li had indeed gone back home for the celebrations. He had invited Lien Si to come along, but received a simple shake of the head for an answer. No idea why Lien Si insisted on staying here at the pavilion alone. The doctor returned his attention to the bottle, giving the cloth stopper one final tap to secure it.
