[Scene: Liyue – Zhongli’s Office, Yujing Terrace. Evening before the Lantern Rite Festival. The sky is painted in soft hues of orange and violet, lanterns gently flickering to life across the city below. Zhongli’s office is warm with the scent of tea, almond tofu, and the soft buzz of ten wildly different personalities sharing one space. Xiao stands silently in the corner, Aether beside him. Childe lounges comfortably on Zhongli’s couch, while Zhongli carefully pours tea.]

Xythera (gracefully attaching glowing dendro petals to her lantern): Papa, can we leave early tonight? I want a good spot by the harbor for when the sky lights up.

Aether (smiling at her): If you finish your lantern first, maybe we will.

Kazura (smacking Kazuki’s hand away): I swear to the archons, Kazuki, stop sticking my lantern with hydro slime glue.

Kazuki (smirking): It holds better than paste.

Velucy (fixing Daiven’s scorched lantern): You’re banned from touching fire until the actual lighting ceremony.

Daiven (grinning): But I am the fire.

Kaetham (glaring at a misaligned paper fold): If this lantern isn’t mathematically centered, I’m setting it on fire myself.

Kaedo (sleepy, blinking slowly): I made a snowflake and forgot where I put it. Never mind. I’ll make another.

Chonzhi (quietly sitting beside Xiao, nibbling almond tofu): Uncle, this one has more glaze. Did you add something new?

Xiao (softly, eyes slightly fond): Ground qingxin. You notice every detail.

Childe (from across the room, snickering): My son’s got a sharper tongue than me but can be bribed with tofu. Tragic.

Thouya (peeking around Zhongli’s desk): Hey, Uncle… who’s Morax?

Ayama (clutching a small box and hiccuping): Yeah—HIC—everyone keeps saying thank Morax, but we dunno who he is.

[Zhongli freezes mid-tea pour. The room falls silent.]

Kazura (bursts out laughing): OH MY GODS.

Velucy (gasping): You didn’t.

Kaetham (deadpan): Impressive ignorance.

Chonzhi (wide-eyed): You’re standing in front of him.

Thouya (tilting his head): Huh?

Ayama (hiccuping, pouting): Uncle… are you Morax?

Zhongli (gently smiling, finally crouching to their level): Indeed I am. Morax, the Geo Archon. At your service, little ones.

Thouya (jaw dropping): THAT’S why everyone acts so fancy around you!?

Ayama (hugging Taroumaru tightly as he hiccups): But you’re not scary… You pour tea and feed us candy!

Zhongli (chuckling softly): I have learned… gods must change with time.

Thouya (pulling something from his sleeve): Okay! Then we have to teach you something! Come here!

Ayama (hands over a crumpled origami paper): HIC—Papa Ayato taught us how to make snowflake stars! We make them every festival!

[Zhongli blinks as he’s tugged down by both twins. Taroumarou barks once and circles him like a soft round guardian. The rest of the teens pause to watch as the twins begin a chaotic paper-folding lesson at the foot of the Geo Archon himself.]

Thouya (demonstrating): You fold like this! No no, not that way, that’s a weird triangle.

Ayama (offering glue with glitter): And then you stick this sparkly part on the tip! It’s not technically traditional but it’s shiny so it's better. HIC.

Zhongli (carefully folding with delicate fingers): Fascinating. And if I fold this edge inward—

Thouya (beaming): That’s it! You did it! Uncle Morax made a snowflake!

Ayama (sniffling, then hiccuping one final time): HIC—Now you're officially part of the Ayato Snowflake Club. No going back.

Zhongli (placing the tiny glittering snowflake star beside their lanterns): I am honored.

Xiao (from the corner, whispering to Aether): They’ve turned the Geo Archon into a crafting club member.

Aether (laughing softly): Better than war, isn’t it?

Childe (raising his cup): I’ll toast to that.

Taroumarou (barking, then curling in Zhongli’s lap as if he’s royalty now too): Woof.

Zhongli (patting Taroumarou gently): This Lantern Rite… is one I will remember.

tthen you enter the executive of liyue