VOTE & COMMENT PLZ!

ACT 1

OBSERVATIONS

"I don't trust people without a bad side,"

-Tony Stark

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warning
may contain uncomfortable violence

Please be aware and reach out for help when needed

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A big fat scarlet fraction that consisted of a body of eighteen sitting over the vinculum that was carried over thirty seemed to dance in a mockingly way on the corner of her page. Talia irked at her score that the sudden test that Miss Sherzberg would always say 'it's just a way for me to see how you're going.' It was the only 'test' that they would receive throughout the year and students upon generation to the next generation knew how hard they would try as rumours would always circulate how impeccably difficult it was. 

Yes, Talia loved Psychology, she thrived in it. Well, the part when it was prac, with it being they would debate and speak. But Miss Sherzberg having a PhD in Psychology was one who had taught at the elite universities and brought her teachings to Alderbridge. That being the hardcore theory and writing bit. 

She would type situations and the gruelling ten paragraph argument the students had replied to. As Talia looked through the pages at the end her doodle of a unicorn on its hind legs was circled in red and with a comment on the side only making her frown.

"As you can see Miss Talia drawing isn't tolerated," Miss Sherzberg sternly said as Talia frowned.

"But it's pretty," she lifted the paper as Hiro and Gianna both next to adjacent on both sides glanced as the professor only shook her head.

"I think it's pretty," Gianna smiled as Talia gleamed as she turned to the other side that was an interdimensional mirror from the one she was looking at.

"Talia, seriously?" Hiro sighed at his friend.

"Do you like it?"

"No,"

"Screw you," she turned around as she put her paper back down.

"What did you get Lia-chi?" Hiro asked.

"Sixty per cent," Talia muttered as Hiro calculated in his head the conversion.

"you got eighteen out of thirty?" Hiro expressed.

"You make it sound as if it's a bad thing!" as Talia crossed her arms. "And it's sixty... I think that's fine."

"Eighteen out of thirty," he said slowly making an echo in Talia's ears.

"Shut your mouth," Talia chided bitterly, "What did you get?"

"Twenty-seven," he boasted nonchalantly as Talia shot daggers at him as she Hiro continued to humbly gaze at his paper like it was a baby sculpture of pretension. Twisting herself to the other side as Gianna was skimming through her papers.

"What did you get?" Talia asked.

"nineteen," the brunette replied as the jaded eyed female felt an arrow pierced inside of her as she stared back at her paper feeling poignant wrapping around her as she glared at her drawing. Damn that fr1ckin mark. 

"Ladies," as the females rotated to find a familiar french-Italian aristocrat male leaning his arms in support at the back of their seats.

"Jean-Luc," Gianna looked back at her relative, a lean male with an aristocratic physique that was much said in the gossip circulation of the European echelon of ladies finding him rather roguishly handsome as he reached the after-effects of puberty. With his tousled brown curls slightly dishevelled as his heavenly blue orbs looked at his cousin. 

"Gigi, what did you get?" he inquired.

"nineteen, you?"

"twenty-eight," as his cousin nodded in approval. 

"That's good," as he tilted his head to the other side to find Talia sinking into her chair as he gave a Chesire grin. 

"F*ck off Orange," she hummed. It was his eternal name ever since she threw an orange at him on the first year of Alderbridge.

"What did you get?" Jean-Luc questioned.

"Tiao lau*"

*jump off a building, hokkien. 

---

It was best to say that Yumikawa Hiro observed everything he came across that was deemed to be, silent and reserved was his nature and he observed everything in silence. The Japanese male would pick stuff like a broken vase and somehow put things together to find another shiny vase. All vases that he saw were similar, all were black and white, some more than one shade than the other. But it didn't matter, they all had black. Everyone had a bad side, everyone was human. 

It would almost be inhuman if someone didn't have a single flaw or utterly dangerous in this world. But yet-

"Hey, Talia!" a voice chirped as they walked down the hallway.

"Hey, Lizzie," Talia replied with her quotidian smile as the female walked by the two as Hiro just gave his usual nod as the brunette smiled in response. 

-he met Talia. 

What alluded to him most was Talia. To what seemed at first she was this ethereal goddess of perfection dancing in her Grecian folded dress that danced in the harmonious wind. Floating above it all as only everyone eulogized of her golden glory. 

There were two types of perfects. The humanly perfect and the godly perfect. If he had to choose it would be the humanly one. 

When Hiro first met Talia it was his thirteen-year-old self who enrolled himself for the long run (better access to the best universities and academic opportunities possible). She was this bubbly, crazy thirteen-year-old who accidentally spilled her green tea on Hiro in the hallways after the opening assembly when they first started the middle school years of Alderbridge. She wasn't 'dumb' nor arrogant, but she wasn't humanly perfect. He wasn't dull-minded and not going to make a few acquaintances along the way, but it to was his astonishment that he became so attached to her. 

She was easy to read at some points of his memory of her but she hid her emotions adequately as well. He recalled when he first met Mikhail when they were playing a game for sport, and felt the aching in his chest when he found out when both were betrothed to one another. The muggy cold air as they were out on the plain to play football, sitting on the stands he watched the four friends chase each other after. So rightfully, just a few kids mucking around painfully unaware how utterly painful life's hands would mould them in the future. 

"Hiro come on!" he recalled that day when Talia was covered in mud calling him down as she then was tackled by Mikhail tickling her as Ceasar started teasing them. 

"Ceasar, what's the point of teasing them? They're already together," Mila sniggered back then to her older brother as he only replied putting up his middle finger. Nothing really impacted the two back then, the title of them 'to be wedded' didn't ponder their actions. If Mikhail had a crush on someone else as a hormonal thirteen-year-old then he had a crush on someone, and the same worked for Talia. They would just act as friends to one another and nothing much changed it. 

But halfway through the year of their last year in middle school, Talia had disappeared. No one knew why but when they asked Mikhail he only shrugged unknown too and answered she was sent off to refining ladies school so she could make her entrance as a debutante, as they decided despite traditions she would make her entrance into society earlier than it should as her engagement was near. 

Hiro couldn't help but wonder what happened over those months to Talia, but all were answered when she made her entrance on her sixteenth birthday the following year as the leading debutante of her group. He recalled how much she had changed, and how much Mikhail's eyes lingered at her with another emotion.

He recounted her descending down the spiralling steps so gracefully that it was as an angel had descended from heaven. Her face matured as well as her figure, how the pearl silk and lace dress with its loose later neckline sat so perfectly on her chest. Her hair weaved in pearls and her angelic eyes filled with stars captivated the room. 

It was perhaps the first time he ever saw Mikhail so enchanted, as he then offered her first dance. How she spoke the next couple of months, how she acted was so impeccably jarring from his first friend of Alderbridge. 

Then he slowly found small glimpses of his old companion seep back, but that wasn't it. How she dressed changed, her sudden interest in couture changed, how she talked, walked changed. But the next year her talents seemed to shift, her interests and what she attended or not did. How well she acted was something he could never pick up until he finally realised how bad it really was, how bad it was for her. She was inhumanly perfect. 

As the saying goes the brightest smiles have the most problems.

It was the previous year that he found out how poignant Talia really was. He picks up but suspects that something off about his jaded eyed friend. In moments when they were alone, he would ask indirectly if she was okay. 

However, he would find he had fallen into the same trap as everyone did with everyone's favourite golden boy. Mikhail Kadamskiynov. He gave credit for how well he acted and how high his intellectual and his emotional intelligence was. 

---

It was haply either by sheer luck or fate that Hiro came across the scene. It was one of Mikhail's cousin's baby shower's that Talia attended. Hiro had dropped her off but was invited to stay for a bit. Hiro came from the washroom but stumbled across Talia being pushed harshly against the wall by Mikhail as the sound of a slap was followed. 

Hiro about to intervene only stopped himself as Mikhail started to threaten her.

"Why the hell did you do that for?! Didn't they taught you to bite your tongue?!" as Talia wiped away her tears and stood her ground. "Talia," he sighed dragging his hand across his face, "you made me look like an id10t back there. You insulted him."

Talia had only stood up for one of Mikhail's distant aunts. Talia was seated and in her betrothed's arms lovingly as the older man and their wives sat around in other seats of the lounge. 

"You'll be next don't worry," one of his family members chuckled to the couple as Talia remained his composure as she only smiled in an embarrassed manner as Mikhail chuckled. 

"Don't tease us, Aunt Alyona," Mikhail responded as he kissed Talia cheek.

"Don't worry you'll have plenty of time," Alyona winked as she handed another drink to her husband.

"How many kids do you want?" his mother's cousin Katya inquired.

"Oh dear," Talia flushed pink as she hid her face in the blonde's shoulder.

"Don't embarrass her," Mikhail said as he then leaned over to his aunt, "five."

"Misha!" Talia slapped his shoulder as Mikhail laughed jubilantly along with the rest of the room, "You're getting at three at most," she admonished. 

"That's better than none," piped up the half pudgy drunken man with a cigar still in his mouth as the convivial room decimated. Mikhail's father's youngest brother Vladislava Kadamiskynov was quite known for their family debacle. The political marriage between him and his wife Oskana turned sour, with Oskana turning out to be infertile, Vladislava turned to his favourite mistress -whom was ten years younger his senior- and instead of making that child the next head. But still, he didn't stop there, with an urge for a bigger family he went on with his multiple affairs and had three more kids with three other women (his secretary, an old client, and a runner up Miss Russia). The favourite mistress even living under the same roof as Oskana to make matters worst.

"Vlad," Oskana said in a distressful manner putting her hand on his shoulder.

"What?" he puffed out the cloud of smoke as Oskana stayed in equanimity as the rest all exchanged glances.

"Not here please," she pleaded.

"So what?! Mikhail, make as many babies as you want," he baffled as Talia started to bite the side of her cheek. "You got a good one," as he raised his glass. "A toast for a good heir to be provided!" As he took a large sip that drew his fully drunk state.

"Thank you, uncle," Mikhail put a laboured smile.

"Your utterly disgusting," Talia confident tone escaped her lips as the room went silent. She wasn't a fool to stand by and watch this happen, despite society rules to not disrespect someone older or held more power*.

*Talia being officially married to Mikhail meant she had such a far hierarchal power over Mikhail's uncle. 

"W-what did you say?" he slurred as everyone looked to her as Talia felt the hidden warning gaze she felt.

"I said what you said is disgusting," Tali repeated as she tilted her head. 

"What do you-uuu, mean?"

"A woman's worth shouldn't be measured by how many babies she makes," Talia chided as the women in the room gave sympathetic glances at Talia. 

"B*llshit," he then let out a laugh as some gave a small chuckle. "Don't worry your young, you'll understand later, ah these rebellious young women these days. Those are the best ones," he wheezed a laugh. 

As everyone was caught up in the mood of the room Mikhail whispered something in Talia's ear. "A word."

---

The moment that Mikhail left her and was far enough to not hear Hiro immediately rushed to her. 

"Hiro," he remembered when she broke down into tears. 

When they finally talked about it her expression was frantically scarred in his mind.

"I'm not an id10t, I know what a toxic relationship is," Talia said so calmly is was distressing. She was sit poised in a Cambridge cross as she let her tea slip down her throat as Hiro was pacing around the room walking the room.

"Then report it Tala! Get out of it you Baka!" he yelled as she only silently looked at her teacup as she chuckled shaking her head.

"Sure I'll call up hey Police, my future fiancee' is psychologically and physically abusing me," she said mocking tone.

"YES GODDAMMIT! Say that! Talia, you're getting hurt, Baka!" he cried back as the jaded orbs softened looking away.

"I can't," she let her gentle tone escape her delicate lips breaking the silence, her voice almost hoarse. 

Hiro just blinked as scoffed castigated. "What the f*cking hell do you mean you can't. Don't you understand?! Talia-!"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed getting out of her seat, doleful's beads rolling down her soft cheeks making Hiro surprised at the blue moon expression. She had finally broken. He finally found the Talia we once met but in the worst of manners. 

"You think I can just walk up to the police and say that my fiancee is doing this so easily. If it was I would have done that a long time ago Hiro. I am aware of what I've turned into, what I've become. Do you think I can get away with this if the attacker controls the hold damn flow of the world's economy?  Huh, Hiro! And even if I get lucky to the fact the authorities will take consent the next time I wake up it will all be gone! 

Then my life becomes more of a mess Hiro. If I break the engagement Hiro I risk my family, then I get blamed. Hiro, I risk my entire family cause my dumb ten-year-old self made that st*pid deal with no good Maxim. You think I don't understand do you understand how hard it is to be me?! Huh?! To be a good girl. To be Mikhail's shiny trophy? To keep my family's reputation alive? So Calix won't have to suffer as I have to. Do you know how hard it is to just even smile? One mistake and I become the talk of the town. Not only that Hiro I look selfish in everyone else's eyes if I do something for myself, I'M THE DAMN BAD GUY!

Do you know how hard it is to look perfect for two catastrophically contrasted families? To be a good Chinese daughter whose grades are so lacking and that people think I'm smart when I make a single mistake, or if someone scores higher than me it's like they won an Olympic medal. To keep up with Mikhail. I'm not allowed by anything less than perfect nor better than him cause they think I'm desperate. Then to be a good Russian wife, how hard it is to be the only Asian in a world of Europeans?!  When I'm not in Mikhail's arms I'm a good Chinese girl than when I am I'm a good wife. 

It's-, it's just so hard," Talia vented as she wiped her tears away. "I'm not normal, and I don't want to be perfect Hiro. I'm tired. I don't-, I don't want to let my family down, Hiro. I can't get out of this."

The black-haired male's brown orbs softened. "Come here," he walked to her giving her a hug as he left the tears damp his dress shirt. Sniffing, Talia pulling away she wiped her tears.

"How long has it been going for?" Hiro asked.

"Who knows. I guess always. But I think he's become aware of his power perhaps since I came back perhaps. Hiro, he's-, he's so good. He's absolutely brilliant. Most of the time he does in front of you guys and you don't even recognise it. What you saw, that was out of luck. He rarely does that."

"So it's mostly verbal?" he questioned as she nodded.

"Yeah, psychological. I wasn't even aware that my interests changed till this year, how I dress as well," she explained.

"Have you tried beating him in his own game? Have you tried to get psychologists-,"

"I already did," she cut off looking away as she recalled. "Three. One noble prized, the best of the best either if they were retired or not. When I confronted him a few months ago to take these sessions he only laughed. He only kissed and gave me a wink and said he'll do it. Within three months none succeeded. They wouldn't even talk to me on the way out. I realised then how bad he was, how good he was." Talia explained.

"Have you tried to tell your family? Your parents would care."

"No, no Hiro I can't get them involved. It would only make things worse, Mikhail would realise if I told them or not. Then he would watch them."

"What about the others? Mila, Gigi, Ceasar-,"

"What good will that do. Hiro, you are probably the only one who can even slide it past Mikhail," she interjected as he blinked.

"What can I do?" he asked with a hint of his saddened expression.

"Be there for me."

----

"Talia!" the two turned around as her jaded eyes glared at Jean-Luc who put his arms around their shoulders. 

"I scored higher than you," he stuck out his tongue as he showed his paper.

"Rot in hell you turd," she remarked, "Go bother someone else."

"Nope," he popped the 'p'.

"Get your arm off me," Hiro sighed.

"Aww, I thought we were besties, Hiro!" he pouted.

"I will chop your arm off."

"Oh, I'm sorry your majesty," he raised his arms defensively as he stuck his arm out.

"Come here you twit!" Talia gave her books to Hiro as she then began to chase the boy down the hallway.

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I UPDATED!!

I'm sorry if this violence made you uncomfortable, but the reality is not many can reach for help even though they have such strong voices.

So there's a little bit more insight into Talia and her relationship with Mikhail.

Vote and Comment, I worked hard on this chapter:

I will now be going in a coma to figure out what the hell I'm going to do for the next chapter, any ideas appreciated:

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