We Wish You a Merry Christmas! (and a happy birthday, too)

act i - december 14th

scene i
The scene: a man stands near an airport gate. He is leaning into his phone to speak into it as he watches the planes come and go. He looks well-kept, in a nicely tailored suit, and hair slicked back loosely to keep it out of his face. He seems somewhat annoyed at the conversation.
"Yes, I understand this. I just don't understand why you must physically send someone to look. In my opinion, it's a waste of time. All that will come of this is a town's hostility towards me."
"Now boarding business class group 3 for Liyue Harbour to Morepesok"
The man looks over to the queue forming at the gate.
"I have to go now. I'm telling you, this trip is a total waste of time."
He snaps his phone shut and joins the queue.
"Zhongli Morax?"
"That's me," Zhongli says, handing the stewardess his driver's licence.
"Enjoy your flight!
Zhongli walks into the boarding ramp.

scene ii
The scene: a rather untidy looking gentleman gives a christmas tree what appears to be the final push before it stands upright. He takes a step back and puts his fists on his hips. The pine stands tall and proud in the foyer of an inn, in front of a grand staircase, the kind that has a gap between two sets of stairs.
"How's that for now?"
"oh, just perfect, Ajax, thank you!"
A small woman wrings the man, Ajax, around the neck and pecks him on the cheek.
"Thank you, dear."
"Of course, mom, anything for you."
Ajax dusts the pine needles off of himself.
"Do you need anything else?"
His mother looks thoughtful for a moment, thinking of what she can get her son to do for her.
"I would ask you to fetch the decorations for the tree, but, we're expecting a guest in a litt-"
She cuts herself off as a car slowly pulls near the entrance, and parks.
"Speak of the devil! Would you be hospitable and get him sorted, dear?"
Ajax strides over to and swings the door open as the arriving guest steps out of their car.
"Hey, there! Do you need help with your luggage?
Zhongli looks over the roof of the car.
"That would be perfect, thank you."
He ducks into the car and pulls the lever to open the trunk.
Ajax pulls a black case out of the trunk and sets it on the ground, extending the pull handle.
Zhongli comes around the side of the car and pulls the other case out.
"How about that," Ajax says, "one for me, one for you."
"Thank you, kind sir," Zhongli pats Ajax's shoulder as he sets the case down.
They walk into the lobby together, and Ajax slips behind the counter.
"Name?"
"Zhongli Morax"
He types for a moment and clicks a few times.
"z-h-o-n-g-l-i, m-o-r-a-x?"
"Yes, that's me."
He takes a pump of the hand sanitizer on the counter.
"alri-ight, you'll be in room 206. A snazzy full suite! You staying for a while?"
"Yes, through to the new year."
"That's awesome! you'll get to see the town for chri-istma-as....," Ajax rummages through a loud, jangly drawer. "and there she is!"
He hands Zhongli a small brass key with a tag on it that says 206.
"Thank you."
"No prob. My name is Ajax, and I'm usually here, from nine to five, if you need me. After five I might still be here, because I live here, haha. That's my mom over there," he points at his mom, who is back by the tree, having fetched the decorations for it.
"She is a-alwa-ays here. She owns the place. If you need anything you can also ask her. If you see someone else with red hair and a name badge they're probably related to us, and work here, too. Feel free to bug them."
"Thank you, Ajax. That's a nice name, by the way."
"Thanks! Here is the wi--fii, and the ro-om se-ervi-ice nu-umber," he scribbles on a notecard and then hands it to Zhongli.
Zhongli takes the paper with a bit of pain in his heart. He feels bad to plot a huge chain hotel right by this charming place, and he knew that convenience and reliability always won over local charm to travellers.
He also thought that this Ajax was cute, and would feel bad to see his families' business be undone. He drifts soullessly up the stairs, and into suite 206.

scene iii
Zhongli unpacked his cases into the wardrobe, and then sat on his laptop for a long while after.
Reading emails about the construction site, size specs, etc. Helooked at travel stats to the town of Morepesok, the towns surrounding it, and the nearest large cities.
Eventually he tired himself out, around early afternoon, and left his room for a change of scenery.
When he came downstairs, the tree, once barren, was beautifully decorated, and Ajax was on a ladder hanging ribbon from the bannisters on the stairs.
"Wow, this is beautiful!"
"Awww, thank you, honey." Ajax's mother waved off the comment, bashful.
Zhongli puts his hands in his pockets and takes in the red and gold, it really was very beautiful.
Where he lives, they have had Christmas set up for a long while, they have it set up even before black friday.
He then turns and walks to a table by the coffee makers, setting down the laptop that was tucked under his arm, pours himself a cup of coffee, and sits down.
Ajax comes down from the ladder, having tied the end of the ribbon to the highest post on the staircase. He strides over to the table Zhongli is sitting at.
"Just coffee? It's around lunchtime."
Zhongli looks over the cup.
"I suppose it is. I don't usually take a lunch break when I work."
"That doesn't sound healthy," Ajax says, inviting himself to the seat across from Zhongli.
"What are you in town for?"
Zhongli is caught off-guard and pauses in his typing.
"I, uh... just work. I'm um...'' What will be his grand deception? He doesn't want things to be awkward for the rest of his trip... "a novelist. My editor sent me here for some inspiration for my next book."
This wasn't entirely a lie. He did write from time to time, but he definitely didn't have an editor and he most definitely wasn't here to gather inspiration.
"Ohhhh, neat. I'll figure you can't tell me anything else, then."
"Yeah, nope. sorry." Zhongli goes back to his rapid typing, inwardly wiping sweat off of his forehead.
"Are you sure you don't want lunch? I'll feel bad if you don't eat."
Zhongli takes his hands off the keyboard and looks Ajax full in the face.
"Alright, I'll eat. What's on the menu?"
"Anything you want! We don't have many other guests, right now."
Zhongli looks around and notices how besides him, Ajax, and Ajax's mother, there are only four people also in the room.
He takes a sip of his coffee and sets it down, and dives back into his laptop as it chimes, informing him of another email.
"Surprise me."
"Anything you don't like?"
"Seafood." He already sounds agitated from whatever was in the email and is tapping his chin, thinking of what to write back.
"Alright, seafood platter, coming up!" Ajax leaves for the kitchen.