Tao, Aiva’s father, was hard at work in the kitchen, preparing braised pork belly and a wonton soup as he awaited his daughter’s return. As he placed the last dish on the table, the front door unlocked with a few clicks, revealing Aiva, utterly exhausted. She kicked her shoes to the side and removed her lab coat, taking a second to breathe in the delectable scent of freshly cooked food. Despite having little appetite throughout the day, her stomach growled and her mouth watered at the aroma. As she peered into the dining room, Tao was putting the finishing touches on his work, his eyes and lips smiling as Aiva hugged him and gave him a peck on his cheek. He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit, her food plated in front of her. Aiva spooned up some broth and took a generous sip, doing a little dance in her seat as the flavors mingled on her tongue, she exclaimed “So delicious!”. Tao watched Aiva as she stuffed her face with food, a bit of concern etched on his face, “Slow down a bit, the food isn’t going anywhere”. Aiva giggled a little, “I didn’t realize I was this hungry”.
With a smile, she continued eating at a slower pace, savoring each bite. Her father matched her pace, before interrupting, “You should check your mail a little more often don’t you think?”, his eyes darting to the one-foot stack of mail accumulating dust at her bedroom door. Aiva smiled, finishing her food and leaving the table to grab the mail, “If you insist”, she gleamed. After tearing open a few envelopes, her eyes landed on one specific envelope, it felt heavier than the rest due to the intricate wax seal on the front. She held up between her fingers, showing it to her father, “I wonder what it’s in here”. Aiva gently pried off the seal with care, pulling out a card to reveal an invitation of sorts. She read it aloud to her father, her voice displaying her confusion, “Hmmm, Thomas Miller?”. She tried to place a face to the name, but to no avail, she took out her phone, searching up his name. Scrolling through the results, she came across his picture, “Oh! I remember him, he was backstage one time, during the Spring show”. Her father eyed her curiously, “Backstage? For what reason?”. Aiva shrugged, “I don’t even remember, he was only there for about 30 minutes”. Looking up at her father for advice, she saw him deep in thought, a mixture of emotions on his face. Slowly, a smile crept up his lips, “You should go, take a break from that job of yours”. Astounded, Aiva was visibly taken aback, “But I love my job”, she protested. Bobbing his head from side to side as if contemplating her answer, he added, “You should take a break, you’re exhausted everyday and when was the last time you traveled?”. Aiva pursed her lips together, unsure of what to say, “I’ll think about it”, she answered, toying with the soup ladle in her empty bowl.
What was she going to do?
2 weeks later
After some thinking, she decided that her father was right, she did need a break. Aiva stared at her suitcase, a bad feeling lingering in her gut, but she shook it off. Before leaving for the airport, she made sure she had everything, including her medications. Arriving at the airport, she wrapped her arms around her dad, embracing him tightly, before heading to the check-in kiosk. Her foot tapped on the ground rhythmically, she dreaded the long flight due to her extreme motion sickness. At the gate, she took her motion sickness medicine before boarding the plane. A flight attendant escorted her to her seat, dipping her head in respect before attending to the other passengers. At least in the privacy suites, nobody could see her throwing up.
15 hours later
Aiva was perhaps one of the first passengers off the plane, she made sure to pack her carryon lightly so she could grab it and make a b line for the exit. Outside the terminal, she entered a black SUV as the rest handled her luggage. The ride to the mansion was quiet, luckily for Aiva, the worst of her motion sickness was over and she dozed off in the back of the car. Feeling a little nudge on her shoulder, she woke up, already at her destination. Feeling a little flustered, she climbed out of the vehicle, adjusting her clothes. Her bags were taken inside and she followed, her heels clacking against the stone path. Once introduced to her room, she rushed for the bathroom, enjoying a steamy hot shower before succumbing to a quick nap. She unpacked her things into the room, making it herself at home, soon changing into her outfit for the day.
She explored the house a bit before making her way to the common area, her heels making for a noticeable entrance as they tapped against the tiled floor. With each stride into the room, she glanced at a different person, taking in the different walks of life and cultures. Making her way to the corner, she noticed someone else, observing people just like she had been. She cocked her head towards the intriguing woman, crossing her ankles and sliding a teacup out from behind her with grace. She tried to get a good look at the woman without outright staring at her, but doing so was going to be hard, as she was stunning. Her outfit, her makeup, simply impeccable. Breaking the silence between them, she posed a question, “May I join you for some tea? I see you like to observe, as do I”.
Purple - Aiva
Orange - Tao
@duck - Marcelle 
orp- sorry that it is eons long