NEW - NOIR EXTREME WRESTLING

(Previously - Part VI: The Road Trip)

Hana_Jeong: We hit the road again, leaving the sprawl of Denver far behind as we cut deeper into Colorado. The highway stretches out before us, tracing a path toward Grand Junction and the border of Utah. The indie festival doesn't start for another week, meaning the clock is on our side so we have nothing but time to lose ourselves in the creeks, the red-rock deserts, the looming mountains, and the hidden rivers along the way. The car is quiet, filled only with the low, hypnotic hum of a Spotify playlist drifting through the speakers. You drive smoothly, one hand casual on the wheel while your other hand idly plays with your blonde hair, completely in your element. I lean my head against the cool glass of the passenger window, watching the distant mountains sharpen against the horizon. The vastness of the landscape makes everything we left behind feel smaller, but it also stirs up a restless curiosity. Something from yesterday clicks in my mind, a detail I hadn't fully processed until now. I turn my head slightly, looking over at you as you watch the road. "Yesterday, you talked about the Navajo," I say, my voice breaking the long silence. "Who are these people? Well I've already heard about them..."

Lauren_James: I keep one hand lazy on the steering wheel, my fingers still tangled in my blonde hair as I look out over the unfolding expanse of red rock. "They're a big Native American people," I say, keeping it brief and objective. "It's the largest federally recognized tribe in the US, and their nation covers thousands of miles across the Southwest, right through the corners of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico." I glance over at you, a slow, knowing smirk touching my lips

Hana_Jeong: I blink, a little taken aback by the sudden offer, and a faint, self-conscious flush creeps up my neck. I look out the window at the endless expanse of earth, realizing how naive my question might have sounded. "Wooow, we can actually meet them?" I ask, my voice dropping into a softer, more respectful tone. I hesitate for a second, shifting in my seat to look at you properly. "Well... I mean... they are people like us, not tourist attractions. I don't want to just stare at them like we're visiting a museum or something. But if there’s a place we can stop, a trading post or somewhere real... yeah. I’d love to see that if you are ok with of course."

Lauren_James: I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head at your earnestness. I reach over, lightly tapping the side of your knee with two fingers just to ease that sudden tension in your shoulders. "Of course," I say, my tone smooth and reassuring. "They're not an exhibit, Hana. It's just their home, and we're passing through it." I glance back at the road, a mapping of the Southwest already clear in my head. "Look, we have a whole week. Instead of rushing straight to the festival, we’ll take the scenic route. We’ll head all the way down to southern Colorado, cross right through the Ute Nation reservation, the native tribe that lives down there, and then cut down into New Mexico. From there, we’ll cross into Arizona and head straight to the Grand Canyon." I cut my eyes back to you, a soft, memory-laden smile replacing my usual sharp smirk. "After the canyon, we’ll head northeast up into Utah. There’s a small Navajo village up that way... a quiet, real place where I stayed once with my sister, Charlotte. I think you'd actually like it there."

Hana_Jeong:

Hana_Jeong: My eyes light up, wide and shining like a little kid’s. "The Grand Canyon????" I take a deep, shaky breath, my chest rising and falling as the sheer scale of what you're promising sinks in. The landscape rolling past the window is already amazing, a rugged expanse I’ve only ever seen framed inside old western movies back home. Being out here, breathing the air of this wild, unforgiving land, feels completely incredible. It’s a world away from the suffocating, neon-lit arenas and the cramped locker rooms we usually live in. Days melt away on the asphalt, and then, suddenly, we are there. We walk to the edge, the ground dropping away into an impossible abyss. We find a small rock to sit on, side by side, perched right in front of the massive, sprawling natural wonder stretching out beneath us. The layers of red, orange, and deep purple rock cut into the earth like scars, so vast that the opposite rim looks like a distant horizon. "It's incredible how small we are in front of these landscapes," I whisper, the wind catching my words and carrying them over the canyon floor. "God created a wonderful world." I turn my head to look at you, a genuine, soft smile gracing my lips. The heavy, possessive shadows of the past few weeks seem to temporarily dissolve under the bright Arizona sun. "Since we departed from New York, everything... everything has been so magical," I say, my voice thick with quiet emotion. "I never imagined a place like this could actually be real."

Lauren_James: The simple joy and unfiltered honesty of your words strike a chord deep inside me, thawing something in my cold, usually calculated heart. For a moment, the walls I keep so tightly guarded crack open. I slide closer to you on the rock, wrapping my arms gently around your waist. I pull you back against my chest, looking out over the dizzying, magnificent landscape while resting my chin softly on your shoulder. Beneath us, the earth plummets into a terrifying, huge ravine. The sheer drop is hypnotic, a jagged void of absolute nothingness. What if... I just push her? The thought flashes through my mind, dark and intrusive, born from that toxic, possessive urge to own a moment entirely. Stop, Lauren. You are becoming crazy, I tell myself sharply, forcing the shadow back down into the dark where it belongs. I tighten my grip around your waist just a fraction more, grounding myself in the warmth of your skin. "You turn this place more beautiful, Hana," I murmur against your shoulder, my voice soft, almost a whisper against the canyon wind.

Hana_Jeong: I turn around slightly in the circle of your arms, looking into your eyes before leaning in to kiss you. The kiss is genuine, warm, and entirely full of love. It’s the pure, protective affection I used to feel for Sara... the girl I once called a sister. It’s a clean love, untainted by the ring or the shadows. As I pull back, I keep my hands resting gently on your arms. The smile fades from my face, replaced by a sudden, striking vulnerability. "Promise me one thing, Lauren," I say, pausing as I look deep into your blue eyes, searching for the Lauren I learnt to love. "Promise me that no matter what happens... no matter where this road takes us... we will always be together." I force a soft, hopeful smile back onto my lips, desperately wanting to believe that the bond we have out here in the quiet of the canyon is strong enough to survive anything.

Lauren_James: I look at you, my face perfectly still, a mask of calm composure masking the sudden, sharp calculations firing off in my head. Friends. The word feels light, almost fragile, coming from your lips. I don't just want friendship—I want your total, unyielding devotion. But right now, looking at the soft, hopeful smile on your face, I realize this is an opportunity. I need to capitalize on this vulnerability, to lock you into a bond you can never break, even if I don't know exactly how I'll use it against you yet. I let out a soft breath, my arms remaining looped around your waist, keeping you anchored right to the edge of the ravine. I tilt my head slightly, my eyes narrowing just enough to show a flicker of quiet confusion. "What do you mean, Hana?" I ask, my voice dropping into a low, gentle murmur.

Hana_Jeong: I quickly shift my gaze downward, suddenly shy and exposed for letting these raw, unedited feelings spill out. My fingers nervously trace the rough fabric of my jeans, the vastness of the canyon suddenly making me feel entirely unprotected. "You know... Lauren..." I begin, my voice dropping to a vulnerable whisper that barely carries over the wind. "Sometimes I'm afraid. Honestly? I'd say scared." I force myself to lift my chin, looking up at you. The warmth that was in my eyes just a moment ago is gone, replaced by a flickering, deeply rooted fear. "First... we come from very different worlds," I say, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Right now, out here, I feel you closer to me than ever before. But I'm so afraid that someday... someday you'll just get tired of me."

Lauren_James: A soft, genuine laugh breaks through my lips, and I shake my head, pulling you just a bit tighter against me to chase away the chill of that fear in your eyes. "Oh, Hana... please," I say, my voice dropping all of its usual sharp edges, sounding softer, more grounded. "To answer your fear, you need to realize something. Outside of my family’s aura, outside of all that pressure, I'm just a simple American girl who wrestles. That's it." I look deep into your eyes, letting you see a rare flash of absolute sincerity. "I've never had a close friend like you, Hana. Someone I can truly, completely trust. Look at everything we've been sharing since the moment we met... we've cried, we've laughed, we've bled, we've sweat... we've loved each other." I pause, letting the weight of those words hang in the canyon air before I nudge your shoulder playfully. "Don't be silly, Hana. And besides, you still owe me a trip to South Korea. Oh yeah... I fully intend to make you take me to Jeju Island," I laugh, the sound bright and clear against the wind. Then, my smile softens, and I guide your gaze back up to mine, shifting seamlessly back to the vulnerability you just admitted to. "And second... what?"

Hana_Jeong: I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. I hadn't meant to push the argument any further, but your sharp memory caught that one little word. First. A sudden, hot rush of emotion overflows, and a quiet sob breaks from my chest before I can stop it. I press my forehead against your shoulder for a second, the tears burning my eyes. "Look, I love you," I choke out, my voice thick and trembling. "I know that deep inside you, there is good. And I am so, so happy because everyday you are becoming more and more the Lauren I really love. The real you." I pull back just enough to look at you, the fear in my eyes completely exposed now. "But sometimes... Lauren, sometimes you scare me. The way you treat people. What you did... actually, what we did to Brooke." My gaze drops instantly to my lap, the heavy guilt of that night pressing down on me like a physical weight. "I just pray... I pray I will never be the target of your anger." My English starts to stumble, the words tangling up in my throat because I don't know how to express these complicated thoughts fluently under pressure. I look back up at you, desperate for you to understand my heart, even if the phrasing isn't perfect. "If one day... if one day I do something wrong," I plead, my voice small and vulnerable against the canyon wind, "please just tell me. Let's talk first, okay? Promise me we talk first."

Lauren_James: This is the moment. The vulnerability you’ve laid out on a silver platter is too perfect to resist, and I pivot instantly, delivering a strike you never saw coming. The soft, reassuring friend vanishes. My arms don't loosen around your waist, but the warmth in my touch turns completely to ice. "Well, Hana... that will depend solely on you," I say, my voice dropping into a chillingly calm, level tone. I pause, letting the words hang over the edge of the canyon. A dark, morbid pleasure invades my heart as I watch your eyes stretch wide, the realization of what I’m saying hitting you in real time. Your absolute terror feeds something wicked inside me, and the mask slips off entirely. "You've known since the very beginning what my plans are regarding wrestling," I continue, my gaze locking onto yours, cold and unyielding. "We are together in this. But if you prove to be useless... or if you become an obstacle in my way..."

Hana_Jeong: Your words pierce my heart like a barrage of cold, heavy bullets. I was looking for a lifeline, for just a shred of reassurance to silence the doubts in my head, and instead, I got the absolute opposite. The warmth of the canyon sun vanishes, leaving me shivering in your grip. "Lauren..." I sob, the sound torn from the very bottom of my throat. The tears blur my vision, spilling over my cheeks as I look at the stranger wearing your face. I reach out, my trembling hands grabbing desperately at the fabric of your shirt, not to push you away, but to hold onto the only person I have left out here. "I'm always on your side..." I whisper frantically, my voice breaking under the weight of my terror. "I've always been on your side. Please..."

Lauren_James: I look down at you, watching the sheer panic take over your face. Your heart is hammering so hard against your ribs I can practically feel it through my shirt, and the desperate, frantic way you're holding onto me tells me I’ve pushed you right to the absolute limit. It’s time to pull back. I grab your shoulders and give you a sudden, playful shake, a wicked grin breaking across my face. "If you betray me... I throw you from the creek!" Before you can even process the words, I lean you back slightly, simulating for one terrifying second that I’m actually going to throw you down into the massive ravine. You gasp, but in the next heartbeat, my arms lock tight around you, pulling you violently back against my chest. I hold you close, burying my face in your neck and planting a loud, exaggerated kiss on your wet cheek. I let out a bright laugh, the chilling tension evaporating into the canyon air as quickly as it came. "Stop being silly, Hana," I say, my voice completely light and teasing again, as if I hadn't just shattered your heart a second ago. "You think way too much. We are together, no matter what happens."

Hana_Jeong: A sharp, terrified scream tears from my throat as you shake me, my heart stopping entirely when my body tilts toward the dizzying edge of the huge downfall. For a split second, I genuinely thought I was falling. Even when you yank me back and hold me tight against your chest, my entire body is trembling violently, adrenaline flooding my veins. "Fuck... Lauren, it's not funny..." I choke out, my voice cracking with a mix of leftover terror and sudden, furious frustration. I push weakly against your chest, trying to force oxygen back into my lungs. I take a deep, shaky breath, wiping the fresh tears from my eyes with the back of my hand, though I don't pull completely out of your embrace mostly because my legs feel like jelly. I look up at you, my face flushed, glaring through the fear still swirling in my chest. "Sometimes," I whisper, my voice raw but friendly, "you are such a bitch."