Mother-Daughter Bonding (for Wanderer)

[CaptainL]

In between bites of her burger, Astrid looked back up at Sarabeth, listening closely to what she said. And her chewing slowed as she let her thoughts linger. She'd never really thought about the similarities between the wrestling world and the music world, but Sarabeth did bring up a good point. Regardless of any differences between wrestlers and rock stars, at the end of the day, all of them were stepping out in front of a crowd of more strangers than they could ever imagine and putting forward their best efforts to make them happy - and that was without getting into all the leather jackets and pyrotechnics. Astrid might have been more the type to promote her physical prowess and feats of strength than her theatrics, but even she had to admit there was a certain appeal that came from hearing the cheers of the fans every time she waved a hand or flexed a bicep. Perhaps Sarabeth was on to something.

"You know what? That's a new one...but I think you're right," she said with a chuckle. "With that in mind, it must've been a snap for you to get the hang of wrestling, wasn't it?" After chuckling at her own joke, she set down her burger for a moment, taking a drink.

"So...Jessie and Matilda. You three go back a while, huh? I'm curious, how'd you meet?"

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth had never realized she didn’t explain her past with Jessie and Matilda. After laughing at her stepmother’s joke, Sarabeth was hit with the question and she had to purse her mouth to ponder that. Her and the other girls go back a few years even before Sarabeth got adopted by Hunter and worked with him. She sat back and crossed her arms.

“Me and Jessie met in the orphanage back in Ohio. I was out there after my mom kicked me out and her parents took me in, but I was soon kicked out again for being super angry. I got put in the orphanage and saw Jessie herself was getting picked on a lot so I helped her out. I wanted to provide her friendship so she didn’t feel alone and have to go through what I did. Turns out…her parents put her up for adoption without really giving her any idea about them. It made her shy and she continues to be like that to this day, but her comfort zone is machinery. She’s a total nerd. We separated when I got adopted and I won’t lie…it was very sad for both of us. I kinda wanted to be adopted together so we could be forever sisters,” Sarabeth explained with a little somber look before shaking her head.

“As for Matilda, we met in my adoptive father’s promotion pretty much. Had a feud over my women’s championship and she even beat me on a house show to claim it, but I beat her back for it. We did so many fun matches together. Submission, No Holds Barred, Ladder, Steel Cage, so much more. She even has no qualms bleeding and I found this out through her uncle, who mainly competed as a deathmatch wrestler before he retired. The one thing I hated is her always using her puppets to distract me which is how I lost my title,” Sarabeth recounted with a little pout.

Sarabeth wouldn’t have changed it for the world though. Jessie and Matilda were her best friends and she was going to make sure it remained that way even after wrestling. Sarabeth was going to go into music and become an artist, Jessie expressed interest in going to college on a hiatus to get a degree in marine biology and a minor in general machinery, and Matilda wanted to go into the world of fashion. Three girls, one ruthless world to go through, but they wanted to do it together.

“Speaking of which, I know this is on the spot, but….can you help train them with me exclusively? I know it seems like favoritism and you can shoot it down, but they need guidance like I did. Jessie never had parents in her life and while she’s got them now being adopted, you and Dad can help her see a brighter future for herself. Matilda, despite her hilarious theatrics, lost her focus and got squashed in her debut match. She needs an approach in focus. I think you’re the perfect person to teach them with all you know,” Sarabeth suggested.

[CaptainL]

"Ah..." With Sarabeth launching into her account of how she had met the girls who had become her close friends, Astrid leaned in closer, giving her stepdaughter the full of her attention. In a way, she came to understand, Jessie and Matilda were just as much of Sarabeth's family as she and William were. They went back a long while, and Astrid could see just how much they meant to her from the way she spoke about them and from how closely they worked together. If she was going to get to know Sarabeth better, then it just stood to reason that she would want to get to know her friends, too. As a matter of fact, it would seem that that bond was particularly close between Sarabeth and Jessie. They shared in their circumstances - not just in growing up in an orphanage, but in being abandoned by their parents. It was no wonder they came to see each other as sisters when they didn't have anything else. Just thinking about what the two of them had been through was enough to bring a frown to Astrid's face, and she leaned a little closer, reaching her hand across to take Sarabeth's for support.

"...that's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear it. But you did the right thing in standing up for her. You were there to provide what she needed..." Astrid could feel the smile starting to grow across her face as she thought about it - she herself, she realized, had done much the same for Sarabeth. "And I'm sure she was grateful for it." When she brought up wishing that she and Jessie had been adopted together, Astrid shared in the sullen look in her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. But a moment later, she smiled just a little bit. "Well, now, look at that. Your paths have crossed once again. Almost makes you wonder if there's something about you two that's supposed to keep you together. Almost like you really are forever sisters..." She chuckled a little before clearing her throat as a blush came to her face. "Sorry, ah...that probably sounds like something out of a corny Christmas movie, doesn't it?"

When Sarabeth brought up Matilda, though, Astrid's eyes went wide with wonder. "Oh, really, now? She's always seemed so kind and friendly, I had no idea she'd do that sort of stuff!" But still, she nodded to herself as Sarabeth discussed their feud. "I'd love to see your matches together, if they recorded any. I know the indies can be touch and go with that, yes, but it'd be wonderful to see where you two came from."

But then, things would get more serious. Again, Sarabeth brought up how Jessie had struggled with a lack of guidance in her life, and even Matilda was taking her loss in her debut hard. The whole time Sarabeth was talking about her friends, Astrid had thought about how she might want to train them, too - or even to train with them as a group to see how they worked together and played off each other. Now that Sarabeth had brought it up, she already had half her response prepared. And now, she could see, they needed it more than ever.

Astrid sat up straight with a nod of her head. "Would I? I'd love to!" she cheered. "If I'm going to be a bigger part of your life, then it's about time I started supporting you in your endeavors. And that goes for your friends, too. They sound like wonderful people - the sort of people who could define the next generation of wrestling, if they had someone to bring that potential out of them. If you think I'm the right person for the job, well...I'd like to think I'm up for the task! Besides, I'd like to get to know them more. So..." She held out her hand for Sarabeth to shake in order to seal the deal. "Tell them I'm on their side!"

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth grinned widely as her offer for Astrid to train all three of them was accepted. Nothing against the other trainers of the YL Program, but Astrid clearly had the better experience to speak for. She held onto the Heavyweight Championship for over two years and despite the recent losses she suffered, Astrid clearly still had more to give and established herself as a favorite among the LAW Roster. She also managed an entire roster of young wrestlers looking to hone their own craft and come up with their own legacies. To drive the new era of wrestling into the mainstream and become what many legends would become in their own right.

Sarabeth evaded Astrid’s handshake and ran over to her mother’s side of the table slipping in for something better. A big hug!

“Thank you, Mom. I haven’t gotten to say this in awhile, but I love you,” Sarabeth cooed. “I’m really glad Dad married you and I’m really happy to have you in my life.”

[CaptainL]

At first, when Astrid saw Sarabeth jump up from her seat and run over to her side, the Norsewoman wasn't sure what to make of it, and she raised an eyebrow in confusion. But any concerns she might've had that Sarabeth wasn't in favor of something she said were soon put at ease when the girl threw her arms around her, pulling her into a hug! "O-Oh..!" Astrid laughed from the surprise of it all - but just as quickly, she turned back to face Sarabeth with a nod, a warm smile breaking out across her face. She supposed that, with how seriously she took her career and her accomplishments, she had grown used to being all business when she conducted herself, especially when it concerned her official capacities as a trainer. But Sarabeth wasn't her client. She was her daughter - and if Matilda and Jessie were like family to her, then they were just as much family to Astrid.

With a grin on her face, Astrid threw her arm around Sarabeth's shoulder, pulling her closer against her side to return the hug. And when she heard what Sarabeth had to say, she nodded her head to every word. She was excited to meet her fellow trainees, and to do her part to help guide them in their journey. But what was just as important was that the bond Astrid shared with her stepdaughter could only grow deeper and stronger.

"I'm happy, too," Astrid said, giving Jessie a firm squeeze. "I'm happy that I was able to do something like this for someone in need. And...I'm happy I got to meet you, too. I love you, too..."

When she said that, leaning back to look Sarabeth in the eye, she could feel a tear budding at the corner of her eye. If there was anyone Astrid was going to get emotional around, it was her family. And Sarabeth was family - there was no doubt about it.

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth couldn’t actually believe her luck in finally gaining a new mother that was worth a damn to fight for and she felt like a little girl again proud to spend time with her mother figure. Astrid wasn’t just family—she was a guiding hand for Sarabeth to latch onto when she got lost or lost her focus. She couldn’t thank the powers that be enough for giving her a wonderful father and a caring mother that super exceeded Kary in every way possible. That bitch tried keeping William and by extension Astrid from her and she couldn’t really forgive that. Sarabeth wouldn’t let her new family go for as long as she could control it. However, that, of course, brought up her previous abandonment issues as she clung tighter to Astrid’s side like a scared kitten.

“We won’t ever drift apart, right? I won’t get kicked out again, will I?” Sarabeth asked with a little silent whimper in her voice trying to fight back tears of those earlier days.

[CaptainL]

Feeling Sarabeth's hand in hers, Astrid gave it a tighter squeeze. Just to remind her of her presence - that she was there, and that she wasn't going to let her go. She knew she needed it. Astrid could tell that Sarabeth was reaching out for something to hold onto. She had spent so many years feeling lost, lacking direction, and not even having a place to go and a family to call her own. Maybe it was twenty years too late when she actually had something. Maybe it was with a mother who hadn't expected to find herself in such a position so early, and who wasn't that much older than Sarabeth herself in the grand scheme of things. But whatever the case was, Astrid was going to give Sarabeth the future she deserved. Even in these last few moments alone, she'd seen the depths of the girl's heart and soul, and that was all she needed to know it was worth protecting.

"I promise you I won't, Sarabeth." Astrid, too, could feel the tears coming to her eyes, but she nodded her head nonetheless. "I'm going to be your mother. And no mother should do that to her daughter. I swear by that." Her hand would only squeeze Sarabeth's even tighter. She'd never met Kary, but she was determined to do better than her. And when Astrid Ostberg made promises, she had every intent to keep them.

[Pegasus]

THE END