Karen S./Astrid O. - Claim To The Throne

[Devilish53]

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Spoiler

It was rare that Karen Starring appeared in the ring for reasons relating to a promo. Given her last experience, in which she opted to try and entertain the crowd at a PPV of all places with her overbearing confidence? It could have been called PTSD.

Though in truth, Karen had simply not appeared with intent to simply talk purely because she had felt no need to. The opponents she wanted to face had been faced. Or were getting their due. Save for one, she had decided.

One whom had the most noted prize in her weight division. Needless to say, Karen Starring had to have it.

With the crowd finally settling down after her quickly paced appearance, Karen held her left hand to her hip, with her right hand to the microphone. Blank look to her face, only when silence had been reached, did she bring the microphone to her lips.

"ASTRID...OSTBERG...GET OUT HERE NOW..." Dropping the microphone immediately following her demand, Karen turned her frame to the side and began to pace, akin to that of a wild animal. The crowd itself had lost its silence - roars, cheers and jeers a plenty were thrown the amazons way.

It was obvious what she wanted this particular heavyweight out here for.

[CaptainL]

Astrid wasn't even booked for a match on tonight's show, but she had elected to come out anyway. In case she was needed for anything backstage, she figured she could lend a hand; as the new LAW Heavyweight Champion, she knew she was one of the faces of the company, and it was a role she pledged to take seriously, doing her part to help operations running smoothly. But more than that, Astrid knew that interest in her had surged since she won the title at We Are LAW 2020, and she had arranged to schedule a meet-and-greet after the show to take photos with fans. Until then, she was waiting around backstage, biding her time.

The Norwegian was in the middle of a casual conversation with one of the wrestlers booked for later in the card, wishing her luck, when suddenly she heard her name being called from the TV in the hallway playing the live broadcast. At once, Astrid stopped what she was doing, turning to the screen to see Karen Starring in the ring, calling her out. She paused, but, undeterred, she turned back to the other girl soon after. "Hold on a moment," Astrid said. The girl nodded to her as Astrid turned for the door, prepared to head out on stage.

She was, after all, the champion - and she wasn't about to no-show when she was called for.

Spoiler

Stepping onto the entrance ramp with the championship wrapped around her waist, Astrid was greeted by a few cheers, and she met them with a proud and beaming smile. She proceeded to the ring, where she grabbed the ropes and lifted herself onto the apron before stepping into the ring itself. Then, she faced down Karen with her hands on her hips.

"I heard someone was calling?" Astrid said. "Awfully bold of you to pick fights with the champion, if that's what you want. And I have to say, I'm not convinced you can back it up," she added.

[Devilish53]

The audacity of Karen Starring to call out the heavyweight champion of all things was something else. Never mind the fact that Astrid was the newly crowned champion, in heed of her first defence.

And here was Karen, not only demanding her presence, but evidently demanding a chance to claim that belt before Astrid had even begun to get going. Despite the fact that Karen herself had shown no interest in the heavyweight belt thus far. Hell, she didn't even try to qualify for the crowning tournament years ago. And Linda Halloween, the previous heavyweight champion, likely didn't even know who she was, for lack of trying.

"I'm not going to bore you with the typical 'you have something of mine' bullshit..." Karen snarled, having already picked up the microphone she had dropped in an effort to look carefree. "Get down here. Bring a ref. Let's go."

[CaptainL]

So, that was what she wanted? When Astrid had been called to the stage, she expected Karen to make some sort of threat, or demand a match down the line, or to make it clear that she intended to challenge her at some point. But it was the sheer audacity of Karen's demands that gave Astrid pause. A title match, right now? With no time to prepare, and no time to promote it? And she thought this would work? Astrid had to stifle a laugh as she stood there staring, biting her lip to hold back the urge. Karen was quite headstrong in wanting a match against Astrid before she had even had any title defenses. That certainly fit with what Astrid had seen from her.

If it was coming from anyone else, Astrid would have thought her would-be opponent must have been strong and capable in order to be so confident she could take the belt off her so quickly. A match against such an opponent would surely have been an interesting one. However, Astrid was aware of Karen Starring - and what she had last seen of her hardly filled her with confidence that she could threaten her reign. As Karen demanded the Norwegian get into the ring, Astrid simply leaned back, crossing her arms.

"Hmm! A challenge for the title? So soon? That's quite forthright of you. I have to ask, have you checked about this with the administration? I can think of a few people who might disagree with your plans. People like, say...Alaina Sanders? Or Alison Seong?" She smirked smugly toward Karen, knowing that her recent record would no doubt be fresh in her mind.

[Devilish53]

Karen didn't consider preparation time nor promotion time, because it was her pure ego at work.

Preparation? What would it matter, Astrid could take all year to prepare and she'd only be delaying the inevitable!

Promotion? There'd be plenty of time for that, after the title was in its rightful hands!

Such was Karen's ego when pushed to the outright limits, which without question it was when it came down to titles, awards or even getting a cementing win over her main rivals. Astrid and Karen had never met before in or outside of the ring, but the mere fact that Astrid had that championship around her waist put her on the list of women Karen planned to knock off...

Having already prepped to once more drop the microphone to add emphasis to her demands, Karen caught it before it fell this time, to answer Astrid's claims. She didn't care how much talking needed to be done - she was getting that match tonight.

"So soooooooooon?" Karen felt her right eye flicker, under a noted about of stress.

"I was here, wrestling and winning, before you even found the building, you stuck up little fuck!" Roared the amazon, confident that her long tenure in LAW would be enough on its own to argue against any of Astrid's claims. She was soon proven wrong.

"Alain-" Karen spoke, the microphone barely picking up her words as she was dumbstruck. Alaina Sanders had her number, to put it lightly. And whilst she had the edge over Alison Seong of late, it was hardly one she could be proud of.

"Shut the fuck up..." She'd mutter, eyes no longer to Astrid, as she slightly turned her head.

[CaptainL]

Even though the anger was rising in Karen's voice, Astrid wasn't particularly perturbed by it - she knew what she was looking at when it came to Karen. Although the two of them might not have ever met each other in person before, Astrid had seen enough of Karen's work to know exactly what she was dealing with, and it wasn't something that particularly impressed her. She could already tell her would-be challenger was all talk - particularly when Karen's confidence seemed to melt away as soon as Astrid had done so little as mention her previous matches.

Astrid smirked to herself. She was pleased with the results, seeming as though she had gotten Karen to back down before a single punch had been thrown. Perhaps this would be a lesson in humility that her rival desperately needed.

"By all means," Astrid continued, "if you wish to challenge for my title, you may. I'll take you on. But I must question how wise such a decision would be. If you can't even manage a comeback to your talking points being challenged, it concerns me how well you'll back yourself up in the ring. And I would dare not subject you to an unfair fight. A win against someone who can't even stand up for herself would be dishonoring the championship I hold." A few gasps went through the crowd at such a sharp retort from the champion.

[Devilish53]

Karen was massively on the backburner, and it was without even a drop of violence. Had Astrid been a past rival, like the sort that Karen had called out so many times before, she could at least demand they accept her challenge or be accused of cowardice. This wouldn't work with Astrid. If she didn't want to accept, then that was pretty much it for Karen. The darker haired amazon hadn't won a number one contender spot or the like, and Astrid had already mentioned her struggles with non-title matched foes.

"Just...Come on..." Is all Karen would retort with - her eyes barely to the ramp let alone Astrid, as perhaps for the first time her LAW career, her confidence had been outright shattered.

[CaptainL]

She'd said her part, and still Karen was insistent. With a sigh, Astrid hung her head and shook it dejectedly. Seeing Karen staring back at her, begging to be recognized, didn't fill Astrid with hate, or determination to defend her title. If anything, the only thing it inspired in her was pity. When she looked at Karen, she didn't see a contender to her championship, or a threat to her position. She just saw a woman so desperate for recognition that she was trying to fight battles everyone knew she couldn't win. Astrid didn't want to prolong this. Karen's dignity had suffered enough.

"You should be better than this, Karen," she said. "You have the determination...but you don't know how to apply it. If you knew how to channel your willingness to be the champion into honing your skills, into improving your performance, you might actually be on my level. But...you're only embarrassing yourself."

With that, the champion turned and faced the exit. "I'm done talking to you, Karen. I can't embarrass you any longer." And she began to make her way back up the mat, her back turned to the ring, and with it, her would-be challenger.

[Devilish53]

Karen wasn't just being humiliated. Soon enough, she was being talked down to. As if Astrid were a trainer, and she the brand new student.

Karen would have likely mustered up the confidence, if not outright fury, to reply in her usual violent manner, but by the time her hand brought her microphone back to her face, Astrid was...gone?

Or as good as. With the curtain fluttering from Astrid slowly pacing through it, Karen was left in the ring alone, with nought but the crowd mumbling around her. And not in a favourable manner, to say the least.

Karen slowly slipped out of the ropes to make her own exit, but it was just that. She wasn't exactly pacing up the ramp to chase down Astrid, nor would she seek her backstage. Why would she - the champion was right.

If Karen Starring, a woman the very definition of proud, couldn't even overcome those she had deemed of her own will to be her main rivals, then what good was a title in her hand?