But if You Close Your Eyes

The redhead wasn't at all that interested in sharing her life story with the man. So much had happened in her time in Japan and no one had ever cared before. Even if John really did care now, she no longer did. "Yea," she muttered, stepped closer to the pagoda and turned to John. "Take it." After he did take another picture, Talia sighed. "They're not true by the way," she said while proceeding to lead them to another building in the complex. "The rumors," she clarified without turning around.

"I'm actually here just trying to sight-see while I still can. Not going to be staying here much longer."

John nodded, taking the picture of Talia with the pagoda in the background. As befit his perfectionist nature, he took an extra moment to make sure the image came out just right. As he went to hand the phone back, he heard her say that the rumors werenâ€t true. John quirked his head, handing back the phone and following Talia towards the next building.

“Really? Iâ€m a little surprised. May I ask why youâ€re leaving?” his voice was as polite as ever. John had the impression that, after the draining affair the whole feud had been, she was probably running in the same way that she had almost run from John. He didnâ€t say this, not yet anyway. Heâ€d let her say it, if she even knew.

Talia didn't even stop to answer John's question. "Why would I? There's nothing for me in tension." There wasn't any unfinished business or ambition in that league. The only reason she even wrestled there as Dark Angel was to get some payback against Johnny. And she did. "It's a league for 2 kinds of people. Crazy psychos who enjoy beating and raping their opponents, and victims of said psychos. I'd rather not belong to either of those categories thank you." She didn't mean to potentially offend John but she probably wouldn't have cared anyways. Even if he didn't show any signs if being like other Tension wrestlers, he could still be a sinister person.

"And even if it wasn't like that, it's not even worth the effort to fight. I've busted by butt for nearly 2 years and I've gotten nowhere. I'm not wasting anymore of my life in that god forsaken place." It was more if a complaint about the AFW as a whole than just Tension. "I'm just finished with it all. You know?" No he didn't. But it wasn't like she really needed his assurance or anything.

John continued to walk with Talia, who apparently liked to walk and talk at the same time. This suited John just fine, as he wasnâ€t one for idleness. Johnâ€s mouth turned into a wiry smirk as she described the ‘two kinds of people†that were in tension. She definitely described his friend Amanda when she mentioned rapist psychos, but not him or his friend Ro. Nor was he and Ro a victim of such psychos. He assumed she was trying to offend him, so he didnâ€t give her that satisfaction. He just chuckled a little dryly. “I see. Then, if I may ask, where do I fit in that little dichotomy?” He said it with a light tone, not showing any sign of being upset, but the statement was clearly meant to make her challenge her own perceptions.

“Tensions changing, and it needs new blood. That Mr. Ryona champâ€s been deposed, but I can understand.” John said as he kept up with Talia. “After all, Friction can be pretty crazy too. Now that you lost there, I can see how cutting your losses can be an appealing option.” John cracked his neck a bit, as he had a habit of doing. After an automobile accident had left him with whiplash, but absolutely no other injury, his neck sometimes hurt. He brought his hand up to rub it a bit. “I mean, after all, you must have tried everything, right? Fought everyone, you never stopped fighting, so whoâ€s to judge you for bailing out?”

"You'll drift towards one of the two eventually. If you don't fit, then you don't belong there." That was the end of Talia's observation. John could have been one exception but she felt certain that everyone else fit the bill. Everyone she ever wrestled was one of those two types. "Tension's exactly the same as it has always been. If you can't see that then I'm sorry but you're either blind or ignorant." It seemed like every week a new video of some Tension guy squashing and humiliating an outclassed girl was uploaded on YouTube.

She could feel the sarcasm in John's voice as he spoke. This wasn't a place to challenge him right back. It wasn't worth the effort. "Yea. It's exactly that. Right on the mark." They came up to a tall tower. "Take a picture of this too," she added as if they hadn't said anything about her career.

“For now,” John said, as Talia said Tension was always the same, “But thatâ€s because 90% of the girls who can actually wrestle are in Friction. Though if you genuinely think Friction was any less of a sex fest, you may have some vision problems yourself. The difference was you had people who could actually put up instead of just doing hentai.”

Talia clearly wouldnâ€t be goaded, but John tried to get one last thing in before he would give up on it. “Look, uh, I know itâ€s not my place to be saying any of this, but…if youâ€re worried about the folks in Tension, you could always hook up with me and my buds. I, uh, I think you may have met them…they may not give the best first impressions, but if youâ€re with me theyâ€ll give you a fair shot. ”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.” John had been a little distracted talking, but once he realized what she was saying he picked up the phone and took the photograph she wanted. “I mean, you have plenty of time to think things over.” He added. “Sorry if Iâ€m overstepping.”

Talia sighed. This wasn't what she wanted to have to discuss on one of her only real days off in what felt like forever. She was exhausted both physically and mentally and just didn't want to have to deal with the crap anymore. "If I did stay in tension, I wouldn't need help anymore. I'm smart enough to avoid who I should. I needed help a year and a half ago when I was a dumb girl getting in way over her head." She had changed so much since those first few days. Part of her wished she could go back to being that ignorant and stupid. It was the last time she had been genuinely happy.

"Look, you seem nice enough. But...I just don't care anymore. It's done. I'm done," she added with finality. "No matter what you watched on video, you don't know what I've been through...what I've had to deal with. And I'm just not about to go through that all over again. It's not worth it. None of this is worth it." Talia sighed again and shook her head. She felt defeated more than anything else. In her mind, it wasn't that she had given up. It was that she lost. Slowly, she reached out her arm implying to get her phone back.

"I appreciate the thought but don't get your hopes up."

“I didnâ€t mean hook up with us for protection…” John let out a long sigh, apparently Talia didnâ€t get it. “I was talking about finding people to hang out with. You know, buddies.” John looked down at Taliaâ€s hand and handed her the telephone.

“Well, thatâ€s up to you. You certainly shouldnâ€t do anything your not comfortable with.” John shuffled his running shoes awkwardly, not sure if Talia wanted to keep talking or not. “Well…Iâ€m sorry if I bothered you.”

Talia probably would've been slightly embarrassed about misinterpreting John's intention if she didn't already have zero respect for tension by this point. "Thanks," was all she really had as a final answer. "Take care of yourself." Talia slipped her phone into her pocket and turned around to make her way back to the bus stop. She didn't once stop or turn around. John wasn't all that offensive, but the prejudice she gained from her experiences in the league was enough for her to decide what kind of person he was, even if all the evidence he presented was to the contrary.

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After visiting a couple more sites, Talia hopped aboard the bus to go to one last destination. It was far and away the one she looked forward to the least. The bus stopped and the Tension Arena Sign came into view. Talia sighed once and got off the bus. She crutched her way into the building with her face down. She flashed her ID badge to the security guard and kept moving. She wanted to see absolutely no one while she was here. Once at the locker room, she peered around to make sure no one else was there. Then the redhead hobbled in and opened her locker. She pulled out an empty duffle bag from the bottom part and began filling it up with her stuff. The sooner she finished the better.

She wouldn't be alone long before the door opened, Former Tension wrestler Tai Kamiya stepping in, stopping as he saw Talia.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt.."

He said, moving over to his own locker before looking back at her.

"Your Talia right? The one they called Dark Angel? Never met you in person, but I was rooting for you when watching Avalanche."

He said, getting some things out of his locker.

"Names Tai. So.....what brings you down here?"