Eternal Rivalry: Kennedy Lee vs. Astrid Ostberg (2-out-of-3 Falls Match)

[Pegasus]

This didn’t feel good. Kennedy should feel happy for Astrid and admittedly, a tiny part of her did. She finally got a much-needed victory and it felt great to share the ring with Astrid once more even though this is likely just another chapter in their rivalry. They most likely wouldn’t be done with each other just yet. However, most of Kennedy felt angry at the fact that Astrid threw a temper tantrum after that first fall and she couldn’t respect that. Had Astrid just taken it under the chin and chuckle along with the joke like she normally would, because she knew Kennedy well, then Kennedy would’ve been able to congratulate Astrid on better terms. Kennedy shot a death glare at Astrid and while the crowd could call her a sore loser, they didn’t know the knife buried deep in her back. She wouldn’t be caught dead admitting Thereisa was right, but mentally, she was nauseous at even considering that fact. Kennedy wobbled to her feet, but slapped the referee’s hands away as the official try tending to her.

[CaptainL]

"Here is your winner, by way of submission, ASTRID OSTBERG!!"

With the results of the match official, the referee reached for Astrid's arm, going to hold it aloft. At the same time, the Norwegian rose to her feet, facing the crowd - which had lit up with cheers in celebration of her hard-fought victory. Seeing it all was enough to bring a smile to Astrid's face, and she puffed her chest out proudly. It hadn't been easy, certainly - Kennedy had truly tested her this time, and she'd made more close calls than she would've liked to. Kennedy had tested not just her body, and the limits of her stamina and endurance, but her mental fortitude as well, forcing Astrid to confront what she knew and held true about herself, and threatening to shatter her confidence. But in the end, Astrid had fought through it all, and proven that she was stronger than the burdens and the doubts. She'd shown the world tonight that she still had what it took - and she'd shown herself that, too. All of it was enough to bring a smile to her face. It was a reminder of why she'd come here, and a vindication of all she'd set out to achieve.

...Which was why, when Astrid looked behind her at Kennedy to see her scowling and pushing the referee away, it took her by surprise. Kennedy was her rival, yes, but she'd always been a friendly rival - someone who Astrid respected, and who she knew respected her. They were always testing each other's limits to see what lengths they could bring each other to, not because they hated each other, but because they had faith in one another to achieve incredible things. Surely, if Astrid had fought this hard and made it this far, Kennedy would've - should've - been happy for her. So why wasn't she?

"...Kennedy?" Astrid began, looking toward her opponent. "Are you...all right?" She, too, extended her hand. If Kennedy wouldn't take it from the ref, would she accept the offer from Astrid?

[Pegasus]

Astrid would come over to Kennedy and Kennedy wasn’t really in the mood to talk it over with her. Astrid literally tried to go apeshit all over Kennedy and went ballistic over one joke. Kennedy didn’t know if Astrid was deliberately turning heel or just getting desperate ever since she lost the title, but this was no way you treat a friendly rival of five years. Kennedy swatted Astrid’s hand away and got up wobbling a little bit. She snarled a little in her best friend’s direction and pushed her out of anger wanting answers for her actions.

“You just expect me to be civil with you after how you acted? I joked around with you and you were trying to injure me! That’s not how you are suppose to act, young lady! I want some damn answers! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Kennedy demanded in her best loud mother voice.

[CaptainL]

Astrid had known Kennedy for years - even dated her for a fraction of one of them - and that made the Norsewoman pretty confident that she knew who she was as a person. She knew that Kennedy was wild at heart - a fun-loving free spirit who didn't worry too much about taking life seriously, and who didn't let things keep her down. She was a serious competitor, sure, but she wasn't one to take a loss this hard. The fact that she was sulking away from the referee and turning herself away from the attention of the fans had taken Astrid by surprise. But when she extended a hand to help her to her feet, and Kennedy responded by swatting it away from her - that struck Astrid all the more.

Her eyes going wide, Astrid took a step back, holding a hand to her mouth. She wanted to say something - anything - but all the words she could imagine died in her mouth; there was no way anything she could come up with would do justice to the shock and awe she felt in this moment - at being rejected by such a close friend. "Tried...to injure..? Kennedy, what are you talking about-!?"

But if Astrid was struck by how Kennedy was acting, it was an even greater surprise that she had done the things Kennedy was talking about. This might not have been like Kennedy, but it wasn't like Astrid, either - and the more she thought about it, the more she realized, with a sickening feeling bubbling up from her stomach, that Kennedy was right. She had done that; she couldn't deny it to herself. She'd lost control - and against someone she should have trusted. Astrid might have won the match, but if she had gone to these lengths to do so, she already knew that victory meant nothing.

Her eyes turned to the mat as she hung her head low, her shoulders deflating with a long sigh. This time, when she spoke up again, her voice was soft and hushed. "I'm...I'm sorry," she answered at last, without a hint of the confidence and pride that had once defined her tone. "I don't know...what's wrong with me either..."

[Pegasus]

Kennedy placed her hands firmly on her hips and glared down her supposed friendly rival. This wasn’t how this reunion was suppose to go and Astrid knew better than to act like a petulant child throwing tantrums when she was on the verge of not getting her way. Kennedy knows Astrid took it hard losing the LAW Heavyweight Championship at Fight the LAW II, but that gave her no right to completely go off the rails. However, Kennedy couldn’t really blame Astrid in the slightest either. Sometimes, wrestlers get a big head when they were champion and she wanted to prove to people she wasn’t just a chump who lost the biggest match of her career last year at We Are LAW 2022. Sure, Thereisa was no surprise to criticize Astrid upon watching her lose by sheer luck. However, Linda Halloween had stated she lost respect for Astrid and believes it was a wrong choice to drop the title to her which put enormous pressure on Astrid.

Astrid’s prideful—maybe a little too much—and that would lead to her going on an unhealthy road of seeking validation. She wasn’t a joke to the division, Kennedy could vouch all day for her and there was a reason Astrid is her eternal rival. One could say it was just old hats being boomers about how the younger generation couldn’t lead the industry and the future needed to be postponed for true women to lead the next wave of wrestlers. One could say it was just oversimplification of a win by sheer luck that Astrid passed out. Some people here needed to grow the hell up in Kennedy’s mind and on both sides as well.

“I forgive you, Astrid. I can’t….put the blame on you too much. You got caught up in proving you weren’t a loser and anyone can get discouraged after a few losses. I still love ya. Just….we’re sure to have other matches in the future. How about next time we shove all personal problems aside and fight like the old days for real? There was some shine there in that last fall of our competitive nature and I think we need to bring that into focus for our next match. That way, we put our side troubles to the outside and just wrestle like we know how to do. You won this time so I need to up the pressure next time,” Kennedy explained with a teasing statement to hopefully bring Astrid back to her normal self.

[CaptainL]

The tension between Kennedy and Astrid was thicker than ever. They'd always been friendly rivals, but if there was ever a time where that rivalry threatened to become something more serious, this was surely it. With both women having strived with all their might to stand up to one another and to make themselves look strong when faced with their rival, their emotions were running high, and both knew they had a lot to lose - for Astrid, who was still nursing her reputation after a few high-profile losses, even more so. It could've perhaps been forgiven for one of them to lash out now, overtaken by their emotions and weary from the strain of a hard-fought match. But in spite of it all...Astrid and Kennedy had too much respect for one another to be at each other's throats. And, with a long sigh, Astrid breathed the tension out of her body and went slack. She could admit fault. She was too afraid of failure - she knew that as much as anyone. But perhaps that fear was leading her down a dark path.

Kennedy didn't judge, though. She respected Astrid just as much as Astrid respected her, and she saw where the Norsewoman was coming from. At the sound of her voice, Astrid lifted her head, and a smile came to her face as she gave her a short nod. Despite it all - despite this match, and despite everything else that had happened in their careers up to this point - Kennedy hadn't changed a bit. She knew Astrid well, and was always going to understand.

"Thanks, Kennedy," Astrid said. "I knew you'd come through..." The more Astrid thought about it, too, the more she felt her morale returning to her, and she held her back up straight as her grin flashed across her face. "That's right! I already know this won't be the last time we cross paths in the ring, and next time, we'll make sure to do it right." Her eyes gleamed as Kennedy brought up her motivation to do her best - and Astrid could only take that as a challenge to rise to her level. The two truly were rivals, and like the best of rivals, they were willing to encourage each other to greatness.

"I should hope you're prepared, though!" Astrid added. "I'm going to be giving it my best, too - and I'm not going to go easy on you!~" She flexed her bicep, placing her hand against the bulging muscle to further illustrate her point. But - at least for now - Astrid had found that same pride and bravado she'd always been known for, and when the fans cheered, it was because of that fact as much as it was from the prospect of a rematch between these two titans!

[Pegasus]

Winner: Astrid Ostberg 2-1