*i know the start is a bit messed up at first but trust everything makes sense and connects at the end with a bang. Fill free to skim over it, finish and come back to it.

ACT 1

TEARS ARE THE SAME AS BLOOD

"Never let them see you bleed,"
- President Snow, Mockingjay Part 2.

Everyone, in the past week (besides Alderbridge student parents) had seen the video of none other than Talia's mother shouting and slapping like a matador out of none other than Talia's aunt Isabelle who Anette informed and explained to her from her mother that Isabelle had called her none other than a breeder for good looking babies and accusing her mother of those attentions.

Anette and Jadore and Talia, despite having their own sides of the family were all close to each other. Talia's home elite wasn't as tricky as Mikhail's one, it was easy to spot where once stood but they were more cunning than calculating. There were seen as three sides of the milieu. you had those who we're who had supported Angelina and hence Richard when they had wedded, those who now stood with Isabella for the sake of peace and you had the new outside marriages who had married second borns to South-East Asian's old guard prominent families. Then there were the floaters who had only sided when it came one of those times like marriages between families or certain occasions, but they weren't always the first choice of getting invited to the most exclusive events unless they were immediately related to them.

Yet, despite all of this Talia had grown close to Anette and her cousin Jadore who were all just trying to get along with their lives and get had the main goal to get into a good college within the few acceptable majors that were deemed to standard. Jadore had similar interests to Talia, both artistic and Jadore had always envied how lenient her parents were then her fastidious mother. Anette despite all hopes wasn't in the slightest bit considered 'pretty' as her mother attaining her father's darker skin who had indigenous Indonesian roots and in his younger looked roguishly handsome and now had the alcohol father belly.

Talia, from the moment she was born, was considered the centre of it all. The first sign was that she had attained her mother's lucky jade eyes that were unexpected but miraculously given; if that wasn't enough she had also attained her father's large almond eyes and light caramel skin. The second sign was her nickname, 'tala' which meant star in her mother's tongue. And of course, the last sign was when she was considered the 'shining star' of her family, the one who had 'sacrificed herself to preserve the future of the family's legacy by marrying into the world's secret hidden power.

Jade eyes slowly manage to make up the blurry vision as she tossed herself on her back and flung her right arm to the side feeling the empty space of the bed cold. Talia had looked down at her bare breasts under the sheets and looked back up at the familiar ceiling immediately. mentally sighing she had recollected the passionate night she had spent.

Over the past week, the video of her mother had grown like wildfire after Jean-Luc had received it from Talia's distant relatives -whom he had a mysterious relationship with- and a few other people. Talia had trudged and grappled her way through the week from the second-hand embarrassment of the conflict with her relatives, from hiding out in her closet and crying avoiding the red ribbon quickly entangling everyone in its grasp.

She was tired, simply tired. Talia had combusted. It was at the end of Friday when Talia had decided to stay over with Mikhail over the weekend and spend her days in the manor. In a game of war, she had a certain guarantee that she would side with her in such events; whatever impacted her reputation, stain his in the slightest bit.

"Morning dear," Mikhail's voice was one of honey, as Talia turned to her side and looked down, past the end of the bed and saw the blonde at his desk with nothing but his sweatpants revealing the faded lines of hickey's on his tone body, his reading glasses pushing back his platinum locks, his elbow on the desk as his jaw rested on his knuckle, and a glass of whisky with its bottle behind it.

"Why are you so early?" She sluggishly chided as she then turned her gaze to the bottle of whisky, "And why are you drinking whisky so early?"

"The second one answers the first one," he chuckles in response as he glues his eyes back to the papers in front of him, as he holds two papers up with what seems to be several paragraphs in small font sizes.

"Sorry I early heard half of that," Talia groaned pulling up the sheets with her as she looked to the side to find something to cover with.

"I'm just reviewing documents dear, it's for my economic psychology major," he said taking another sip from his delicately cut glass cup.

"Still doesn't explain the whisky one?" Talia managed to find her robe and started to hunt for her slippers under the bed.

"Whisky is my caffeine," he quickly looked at her trying attempt to look for her other slipper.

"Darling, the other one is on the other side of the bed," he called out.

"How the fuck did it get all the way over there?" Talia marched her way to the other side as finally felt satisfied with both feet warm.

"Why don't you try to recall last night," he teased.

"Why don't you shut up before I chuck my slipper at you."

"You were the one stressed dear."

"You did it as well," she indignantly said putting the pillow on the ground back on the bed.

"You treat it as if it is a sin," he chuckles lightly as he turns his head to watch Talia sit on his lap, putting an arm around his neck and the other dangling as her head turns and read the documents that we're in English and the several points and statistics.

"What's this for?" Talia inquired curiously trying to read and make up the letters without her glasses.

"Uh, my professor said he wants to bring me in for a debate that's happening at Oxford, he said he wants to challenge his students and be put under serious pressure," he answer rubbing small circles on her back.

"Ow, it hurts there don't press too hard!" Talia winced at his fingers hitting a sore part of her spine, "Also, don't be a matador on them, Misha, be nice," she quipped knowing how well Mikhail was.

"We'll see," he chuckled as he put his glasses back on the desk and wrapped his arms around her waist. "So милая, what do you say we have a nice party tomorrow night. At the club," he suggested in his morning sweet tone jarring greatly to what Talia knew well hid such a darker meaning.

"Misha, you never throw parties unless for... special occasions," Talia pursed her lips and changed her sitting position to straddle him and rearrange her arms to have them both on his shoulders. Only a few knew that when Mikhail wanted to throw a 'party' at the exclusive party club something was bound to happen, it was a drama magnet.

"Hmm, my love I just wanted to invite Lorenzo..." he trailed as Talia only raised a brow.

"Dear, let the male be," she sighed tiredly playing with his hair.

"I just want to talk to him," he rubbed his thumb on her cheek.

"Uh-huh, talk," Talia rolled her eyes.

"I just want to get things done милая."

"But what about Gigi?" Talia scoffed worried about her friend.

"Dear, it's the perfect timing. it would send off the topic about your mother and aunt's burned off you," he induced as he watched his betrothed pause in thought.

"I-I, I see," she stammered with a glint hiddenly dancing in her eyes.

---

One of the few things Talia had learnt of the art of manipulation from Mikhail to survive the malicious elite was Robert Greene's first law of power, never outshine the master. She had learnt quickly that she wasn't born into the same society as Mikhail's, she was an extension of Mikhail and would always be and she didn't deny that, she didn't feel any less inferior to her position.

Truth be told Talia had learnt in her rigorous overseas private teaching when she took gap years learning with private tutors who knew what she was getting herself into. 'Robert Greene's first law has evidently described that outshining the master it the worst mistake you can make... I know it seems misogynistic believe me, dear, it's not but just because your hiding from the spotlight doesn't mean you're not the one truly in control.' Her teacher had said 'Mikhail was born into this you were thrown into this, swim with him in this. Learn with him, and shine in your own way and then, and only then you will be the one shining the brightest in plain sight.'

When Talia had completed her 'catch up' and debuted early to try and match the timeline, she was finally equipped to make her jump into the deep end without a life jacket. She never said anything not necessary, never vaunted and never let anyone threaten her place to become the next grand duchess of the Kadamksiynov household, even if it meant -for the first time- extreme measures.

Talia had not struggled as a child, not swamped by piles of the same studies Mikhail studied with a revolving door of tutors, not ever said a word of complaint, not ever said a word that would make her seem selfish to stain her perfect pale caramel porcelain skin.

Scrolling through her phone, Talia looked like a chic woman who had walked out of the Matrix franchise with her hair slick back with heavy slick eyeliner and light eyeshadow had made her jade eyes pop yet keep her clean face look with simple foundation and highlights and a dark shade of nude on her lips. Clad in a stunning Azzedine Alaia black cocktail bandage dress thrown over with a long patent leather Mcqueen coat outlined white stitching, completed with long glossy midnight knee-high boots had completely changed her innocent doll-like exterior, finally showing her true colours.

"Bitch! Hurry up!" Talia groaned waiting outside of her friend's closet, only hearing the response of her friend yelling back something in her mother's tongue.

"Tala!" Gianna called out.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come in, I need you to pull up my zipper."

Putting her phone down Talia gets up and makes her way to Gianna who is standing in front of the cabinet mirror donning a beautifully cut out dark blue body con dress hugging her body like a second skin.

"Look at you," Gianna smirks as she rolls her eyes and finds the golden zipper and zips her up. Finishing it Talia waits at the chaise lounge in the middle and sits while Gianna sifts through every feature of herself inspecting if she was satisfied with her look. "Do I look like I'm bloated a lot? I feel bloated but-,"

"Either way who cares, it's dark and you look fine," Talia assures.

"You think, I ate two plates of pasta earlier, so I'm kinda sucking it in," Gianna groans and dismisses her figure. Gianna fixes her hair and looks at Talia in the mirror with estranged eyes. "Tala."

"Yuh?" Talia looks up.

"You and Mikhail, when did you know when you loved Mikhail?" Gianna asks watching Talia being caught off guard by the question. "Like-," she sighs, "I know you guys were engaged like when you were ten but-, you guys. You're in love now right?"

"I guess, yeah," Talia blinks discombobulated by the sudden question.

"Well, I was just wondering... is it rewarding?" Gianna supplicates with a slightly worried tone dancing in her eyes. Talia only pauses, would she call it love? But were the small moments, the special ones love too? It wasn't that she thought it was worth it, but it was worth to bare it for another cause.

"You love him right?" Gianna interrupts her train of thoughts.

"Yes, Gigi-, sorry I'm just trying to find the right words for you-. Is it something to do with someone you perhaps love?" Talia gets up with her expressions softening.

"He makes me a better person Tala," she smiles warmly, "Like you and Mikhail, you know the way you and Mikhail look at each other when you guys see each other?"

"How-, how we look at each other?" Talia raises a quizzical brow.

"Yeah, the not like dreamy eyes-, I mean like a but-, but like something special," the female tries to put into words. "And like you don't change yourselves that much like change completely but like I don't know, that aura that you guys have something special. The little things you know?" Gianna turns to Talia.

"I guess we don't get to see that from a third point of view," Talia simply expresses feeling like had a bullet to her heart.

"Well, I've got everything. Are you coming or not?" Gianna quips.

"Uh, yeah. I just need to use your bathroom, I need to do a quick pee," Talia feining a chuckle.

"Alright see you outside then," Gianna says getting up. Waiting for her to leave Talia only stands up and walks like a fawn walking for the first time towards the mirror, gazing at herself as her mind twists ribbons in memory of what her friend had said..

'You love him right?'

"What type of love is that?" Talia scoffs mentally and takes her to leave.

---

The Club was only the most exclusive club and a hidden gem of the hidden elite of the world, it was that one club that had another club under it. No matter what club VIP or how much was in your bank account it really didn't matter to the obstinate minded hulky guards at the entrance, it was invite-only.

But, everyone outside the Alderbridge milieu knew if it was hosted by a top dog something was about to go down-, and everyone wanted a bite of what was going to be served of drama's new main dish.

The cloudy banging of the music echoing from inside the estranged box of a building was packed from the outside as those clueless about the fact that it was only a decoy.  Everyone had assumed that it was the quotidian night racket from a machine that forged some source of power for the street. If you walked further down the street, there was a fish store and restaurant at the end of the street that gatekept a hidden alleyway.

Hues of purple flash brightly strummed to the cloud of music blasting. Talia stumbles through the sea of people dancing and yelling in an attempt to get their message across to the other person. Trying to make her way to the lounge clawed inside the wall next to the DJ booth, Talia looks at her friend Adya passed out on the couch, a few other people she doesn't know mixed with some other people in her English class giggling drunkenly as an ex-classmate of hers is swinging around a pole.

"Have you seen Gigi?" she shouts hoping she would get an answer.

"No!" one of them yells as Talia groans and rolls her eyes as she turns on her heel.

Hopefully, Gianna is drunk by now Talia says to herself.

"You know how Gigi is when she's drunk," Mikhail says to Talia. "I'll get Lorenzo to come, to surprise her."

Talia begins her peregrination through the crowd, trying to find her friend in hopes to find her drunk. Everyone knew of the eldest daughter of the de' Bellucci household's reputation of being the drunk party girl with a revolving door of shared beds throughout last year. Truth be told, Gianna had hit a low point in her life. The pressures of maintaining the level of being part of the exalted de' Bellucci line was no less than to her peers, she wasn't ready for it, she wasn't ready for the amount of cram study sessions, the military level of adroitness of elegance she had carried in five inched heels and most of all how much she was bombarded by every one of how she would make the 'perfect' wife.

Everyone knew of how prepossessing Gigi was when the moment puberty took flight, she had grown to have the height of a runway model standing at five-eight, beautiful sun-kissed skin from her time as a child transitioning in between villas from Milan to Sicily, how she had the 'perfect' upper body, how her hips were subtle but delicate. No one had paid attention before, when she was ridiculed for trying to continue her passion for rock climbing mothers had snidely bombarded Gigi's mother with 'advice' that her shoulders would be too manly or how she would grow toned with bigger biceps than their sons.

Gigi had only continued her endeavours through her early teenage years was off because of Talia's encouragement. Everyone knew how of the refreshing entrance of the jade-eyed ebony-haired female. Despite coming from mirrored society in the South-East, Talia's parents were lenient, they let her take fewer cram school classes, and let her do whatever she pleased to participate in. But, of course, all of that changed when Talia had to become the perfect caricature of the future grand duchess of the Kadamskiynov household, suspiciously swapping her swimming passion for ballet and figure skating.

Eventually, soon Gigi had begun to become obsessed with the fact of how wide her shoulder would be, or how muscular she looked. Her closet began to change, neutral and darker shades had slowly sifted into a lighter palette to frivolous colours and back to pastel colours. Athleisure clothes turned into body-hugging dresses, her wolf cut had turned into glossy beach waves. Every mother within the exclusive elite was itching and hatching a plan to set up their sons with Gianna, whether out of her beauty or her house name.

Her head was constantly spinning and piling of the endless compliments-, the only compliments she had ever gotten from then on beside any academic achievements or volunteering she did.

'Anna, Gigi looks more beautiful than I last saw her!'

'Look how beautiful Gigi looks, she must have inherited her mother's genes.'

'Finally, she got out of that boyish phase.'

'Gigi, I heard you finally quit rock climbing! I didn't want to tell you before but your shoulders would've looked so broad, like a man! You should join my daughter's dance class!'

'Gigi, you've gotten so beautiful! My god look at those legs! You know you should join my aerobics class, it's so much fun! My instructor has their ways of burning calories in an instant!'

Gianna's mind was simply wrapped tight, combusting as she had experimented if she dressed in a more 'appealing' way. It was the end of her sophomore year when her cousin had sneaked her into a party. She simply was in the wrong crowd at the time; everyone at Alderbridge had their mechanisms to cope with the gruelling amount of pressure, whether it was intercourse or themselves completely changing which was inevitable to everyone.

"Bitch there you are!" Talia hauled her friend from a corner. "I was looking everywhere for you! Why are you standing there all alone? Come on let's go to the bar!"

"Talia-,"

"Come on! I've been wanting to blow off steam for a while!" Talia begins to drag her friend to the bar as they order their drinks.

Talia gazes at her hesitant friend and grins, "You aren't backing out are you miss party girl?" Gianna blinks only immediately drinks it straight and scoffs it down. Talia only regretfully watches her friend. Hearing her phone vibrate, the female checks her phone from a new message from Mikhail.

Be there soon, dear.

---

The vision of the buildings and streetlights become a mosaic blur of art, as Mikhail's velvet black Pagani Zonda Revolucion – Aloha Zonda travels at 100 kilometres per hour. Usually, Mikhail was never the one to drive such a car that would draw too much attention -you would find that any person belonging to this level of society finding any Lamborghini, Ferrari or Bugatti too gauche, flashy and of course common (the iconic red Ferrari and bumblebee yellow Lamborghini notably) unless of course they were rare vintage ones. Mikhail and others preferred customed made ones from scratch that belonged to the family or made for the person too, classic ones, or the open public selection if it was sleek, fast, luxurious and didn't draw too much attention (black and white and any shade in between were preferred).

But of course, out of Mikhail's vast collection of his and his family's cars, he had chosen this one, especially by the design to leave an impression on Lorenzo.

"Thanks again, for setting all of this up," Lorenzo lauded, turning his vision from the window to Mikhail who was focused on the road, donning an all-black fit of a crisp dress shirt flanked under a leather coat, and matching pants.

"It's all good, it's nice that you really love her, she needs someone like you," Mikhail smiles, "And she's been dying to see you and stressed about everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she doesn't shut up about you, you're probably the first guy she's ever been this close with," the blonde expresses glancing at the mirror and seeing Lorenzo's flustered expression. "So, you said that you go to the University of Milan?" Mikhail takes a change of topic.

"Yeah, uh I'm studying photography," he replies, "What about you?"

"Uh, Oxford," he quips as Lorenzo's eyes widen.

'Of course, he goes there,' Lorenzo prompts.

"I'm currently doing an undergraduate degree in mathematics, but after I'm a postgraduate degree I'm doing a PhD after that or switch to Hardvard for the Math 55 course. And I'm doing a bachelor's in economics psychology," he explains.

"Math?" Lorenzo effuses.

"Yeah," Mikhail chuckles, "I get that a lot but it's one of those subjects you're good at." Half a lie it was, truth be told Mikhail never loved math from the start and was never good at it when he was younger. If it were his way, if things were different he would be pursuing music (classical).

The standard was this, from the moment you could talk you would be forced to learn the basic trinity of European languages (French, Italian and Spanish -or English but most had this as their native tongue) unless of course it was already your native language and it would be changed with either English, Russian, German or Swedish. By the age of eight or nine, you would be hit with an avalanche amount of tutors all highly selected around the world, as your life basically become all cram school. This, on top of the fact that every mother or father was eager to find each other's child's portfolio of who hired who and what after school activity they did, in addition to the various amount of travelling the child did.

If the child wasn't a 'genius' (that was deemed the subtle standard) by twelve then don't expect the child to get into Alderbridge. It was no different for Mikhail, being the eldest child in the dubbed 'house of perfection' nothing less of greatness was expected. Every summer, holiday or anytime without a special event when people questioned where he was, he was couped up in the manor trying to memorise formulas not fit for his age. If he had ever made a single mistake, it was deemed for him to be reprimanded as he would be pushed back to his army of tutors who acted more like scientists for a test subject, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

"I believe this is the place, from memory," Mikhail reenacts as if he had only been there once, looking through the window as he enters the alleyway.

"I thought it was a club?" Lorenzo inquires discombobulated by the scenery.

"You'll see," Mikhail chuckles as the car slowly stops as he presses a button and switches to English. After the confirmation, the fake wall pulls up like a garage.

"What the actual fuck?" Lorenzo cusses in a hushed tone, awed in wonder as if he was in a James Bond movie. Mikhail ostentatiously rolls the car forward in the car elevator, as he presses the button. With the rolling of the 'garage' door, Lorenzo stares through the window like a five-year-old in a toy store as the lift descends to what seems four levels down.

Parking the car, Lorenzo and Mikhail get out hearing the murky club music.

"You alright?" Mikhail asks.

"yeah, just feel like I'm in a James Bond movie," he looks around making the blonde laugh.

"Come on, I'm sure Gigi will be over the moon to see you," he smiles as he leads Lorenzo to the door.

The moment the brunette walked through the door, he felt like he had walked straight into a portal. Walking through the door, the cold touch of the night had melted away and sought out the magnetic pull of venomous green lights flashing, the ocean of dancing silhouettes and the smoke had covered the floor.

"Let's try and find Gigi," he says as he guides him through the crowd. After a minute of looking upstairs, the blonde catches eye of Talia.

"Dear!" Mikhail calls out as Lorenzo is surprised by the pet name. Spinning around on her heel, the Italian male is stunned by the female who walks up to them. Dressed like some Matrix-like goddess, outlined by the green flashing lights Talia smiles.

"Misha-! Oh whose this?" Talia ostensibly smiles and looks at Lorenzo. "Oh-, um hi," she says oddly.

"This is Lorenzo, Gigi's boyfriend," Mikhail introduces. "Lorenzo, my girlfriend Talia."

"Hey," Lorenzo awkwardly greets.

"Hey," Talia says. "I had no idea, about Gigi-, that little bitch she didn't tell me!" she switches to English.

"Do you know where Gigi is?" Lorenzo asks.

"Y-yeah, I think so. We got drunk a while ago so she should be sober now-, oh last time I saw her was at the lounge," Talia replies. "Uh, let's see if she's there."

Mikhail and Talia take the lead, as Lorenzo follows the two distracted in wonderstruck by the club.

"How is she?" Mikhail switches to Russian.

"She's drunk alright," Talia sighs annoyed, pushing through the crowd.

Both the jade eye female and the platinum locked male halt as they reached in front of the lounge. As critically finagled the Italian beauty is seemed to be outrageously intoxicated by the staggering amount of drinks -and having a low tolerance- as she giggles loudly with two boys, one the one she sits on as the other is gently touched by her hand along his cheek.

Talia's prolonged stare as her friend only swarms an unwelcoming feeling in the pit of her stomach. It's for her own good she tells herself, it's better than her heart being broken by her parents finding out. He's not our kind.

"Uh Lorenzo-," Mikhail stops the male from going any further, feigning a distressed look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Lorenzo says confused. Innocent eyes. Pushing through the couple, brown orbs are monsoon(ed) with shock. He freezes, mouth agape as he stares at Gigi giggling loudly with the two.

"Lorenzo, we had no idea..." Talia trails putting a hand on his shoulder as she glances at Mikhail getting out his phone and starts recording, putting the phone in his pocket, just allowing the camera to stick out.

"Gigi!" He sputters loudly catching those around him off guard.

Gianna's eyes stop when she sees Lorenzo, seeming as if her drunkness was warring off as she starts to process everything. "I-," she looks around and immediately gets up.

Talia looks back at Lorenzo, endlessly with tears rolling down his cheek as he just fled, heading to the exit. Gianna follows him anxiously, as Mikhail follows him as planned to take him back to the hangar and a flight home.

"Tala!" she cranes her neck around to see Mila and Hiro.

"What the fuck was that all about?" Mila asks.

"Apparently that was Gigi's boyfriend-, Mikhail said that they've dated around a year apparently and thought he could bring Lorenzo to see Gigi so he set it all up-, but as you can not everything went as planned," she explains.

"Wait, what the fuck Gigi's been dating someone for almost a year?!" Mila exclaims in surprise, "Wait, you know what where hell are they? I need to see this."

"They're outside in the parking lot," Talia answers.

"Well let's fucking go then!"

---

"Lorenzo! Lorenzo wait!" Gigi pleads, taking off her heels and trying to jog to Lorenzo.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" Lorenzo pushes her hands off throwing his hands in the air.

"Wait-, please-, I can explain!"

"Oh, please!" he scoffs, "Please try to explain why you were-,"

"I-,"

"Lorenzo-," Mikhail intervenes.

"How do you know-?" Gianna turns to Mikhail and sees Talia, Hiro and Mila behind just getting out.

"I met Lorenzo by chance when I was in Italy visiting Valentino, we talked and then I got curious when he mentioned having a girlfriend having your name and his description, I saw a photo of you too. Lorenzo wanted to visit you, all the way from Milan so I set it up," he says sternly.

"You went all the way from Milan to see me?" she says softly and her heartwarming.

"Yes," Lorenzo chides bitterly. "Mikhail-, can we just go. Please," Lorenzo pleaded.

"Lorenzo-, wait-!"

"J- just stop!" Lorenzo shouts catching all of them off guard, as the sound echoes throughout the parking space.

"I-,"

"Let's go, Mikhail," Lorenzo says as Mikhail only follows, for once, and gets in the car with him. Gianna stands there, dried eyes but breathing heavily. With her eye makeup heavily ruined. Poignant eyes, lost with hope follow the car as it drives away.

"Gigi-," Mila approaches her friend with a comforting voice.

"Just leave me the fuck alone," she brushes her hand off and heads the other way, further down the parking lot.

"I'll follow her," Mila reassures and goes after the brunette.

When they are far enough Hiro's expression only drastically changes. "What the fuck was that all about Lia-chi?" he attested.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what the fuck I mean Talia, don't act all fucking innocent!" he exclaims at his friend walking towards her. "I met him by chance," he scoffs, restating Mikhail's words, "Talia we both fucking know that Mikhail sees everything like a chessboard, nothing is by chance."

"Fuck off, Hiro!" Talia's eyes become watery, "You know nothing."

"Nothing?!" he baffles as he runs his hand through his hair, "Wow Talia, I know nothing or I don't understand what your going through seems like the answer to everything!"

"Well, you fucking don't!"

"Talia!" he shouts. "I really do pity you, I really do. I'm sorry if you got caught in all of this and you know I'm here for you, but let's be fucking real. You are a selfish fucking bitch."

"You fucking-!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Talia stops, she had never seen her friend shout to this extent. Hiro drags his hand across his face, "I'm, sorry, I'm sorry."

"But Talia-, I know you're better than this. You-, you complain and complain, and you suffer and you suffer. But you're not doing anything about it-!'

"YOU THINK I DON'T FUCKING KNOW THAT?!" Talia yells, tears are now streaming down her eyes. "I'VE TOLD YOU-,"

"TALIA-, Talia," Hiro calms down, "Talia I know, by the stories you've told me and for what I've seen Mikhail-, Mikhail is up there. But you-, you're becoming s-so dependent on him and you don't even fucking know it. You really don't see the difference between blood and tears. Whatever you think stains you get rid of it or hide it. You think you're so different from Mikhail, you think you're so innocent, but you know what?! You're exactly the same! Say whatever shit excuses, but you're in this endless complex that you're too afraid-, too addicted to getting out of."

"Are you done with your monologue," Talia mutters looking to the side, inside she knows he was right whether she was afraid to admit it or not. Sighing, Hiro begins to walk back inside but stops when he is just past Talia and looks back.

"You're are more powerful than you know Lia-chi, use it for fucks sakes," he says and walks back.

I I I
V V V

SOOOOO....

I DID IT! HOW WAS THAT?! OVER 5000 FUCKING WORDS, DON'T WE LOVE SOME DRAMA?!

ALSO WHETHER YOU LIKE THEM OR NOT MIKHAIL AND TALIA ARE WRITTEN VILLIANS IF IT WAS TAKEN THROUGH THE EYES OF DAKOTA. SO HATE THEM, LOVE, I DON'T CARE, RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS.

ALSO, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD INTENTIONALLY GET YOUR FRIENDS DRUNK WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT... PROTECT YOUR BESTIEES!

I REALLY WANTED TO BREAK THE BARRIER FOR HIRO AS BEING JUST A 2ND MALE LEAD, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AM I, RIGHT?

ACT 1 IS COMING TO AN END SOON, TWO TO THREE CHAPTERS TO GO IF ALL GOES PLANNED! PLUS A CHAPTER BONUS OF THE CHARACTER PROFILE I'M WORKING ON.

ANY OTHER OPINIONS OR SUGGESTIONS HERE:

OOOOOOH ALSO I need some new characters when I decide to do ACT 2, it might be a time skip after they all graduate like 26-27 so don't put age unless you put the same as Talia's. I'm thinking of it leading it up the wedding, bachelor party? I don't know. I'm prob gonna forget all of this :I

You don't have to be rich, you can be like Talia's roommate for college or something I dunno unless you want to. Or what I also need Talia's cousins or family friends on her side or as I call it the Crazy rich Asian side. Or a love interest for some side character I dunno.

Anywho, you can private message me or dm a doc or whatever:

BYEE I LOVE YOU ALL!! OKAY, I NEED TO STOP MY WORD COUNT IS SCARING MEH! omg I'M GONNA GET SPAMMED BY NOTIFICATIONS!

don't forget to comment and vote!