Heart-to-heart

[skip-stop]

Pleasant live music. Countless conversations. A slight smell of alcohol in the air. Yes, it was one of the bars in Tokyo. It wasn't a premium class place, but the audience here was quite decent. They don't come here to get drunk to the point of unconsciousness, but to have a good time in a relaxed atmosphere. For the same reason, three women came here today, three best friends who were similar to each other to the same extent as they were different from each other. Their table was slightly away from the main mass of visitors, they wanted to spend time with each other, not with the others.

“You're drinking a lot less than usual today,” Charlotte remarked, pouring some more red wine into her glass. “If you've spent all your spare money again, then...”

“Look who's talking...” Nerissa replied, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, Charlotte, it's funny that you noticed this only now,” Astrid smiled, emptying her glass of beer. “You're usually more attentive, so it's amazing that you didn't pay attention to it, Nerissa started drinking a lot less than before and it's not just about tonight, huh.”

“You two...” Nerissa bared her teeth, feeling uncomfortable under such pressure.

Astrid Arvidsson

Nerissa Labong

Charlotte Ravel'

Astrid laughed, and Charlotte raised her left eyebrow at her friend's unusual reaction. In fact, Nerissa has been acting quite strangely for some time now. At first, the Frenchwoman simply did not pay attention to it because she had enough worries of her own, but now some things caught her eye so much that they simply could not be ignored.

“So what's the matter?” The pink-haired woman asked.

“Nothing...” Nerissa muttered, then put a chicken nugget in her mouth and began to chew.

“What's your nothing's name?" Astrid grinned, which made Nerissa choke.

Clearing her throat, she pursed her lips and looked at Astrid with displeasure. Usually, the blonde did not meddle in her personal life, so she was annoyed by such attempts to hurt her. However, the main problem of the Native American woman was not that, her main problem was that something had changed in her life and so far she did not know what she should do about it.

“I'm just trying to get better, that's all, Victoria says that we have to take care of our image, so... yes... enough about me,” this time it was Charlotte's turn to choke because hearing such words from Nerissa is about the same as hearing thunder on a cloudless day. “Charlotte, after the match with Akari, you went to China for the annual pilgrimage, but when you are going to return to matches? If you delay, your rating will inevitably go down.”

“Are you worried about my career?" Charlotte smiled gently and took a sip of wine. “How sweet of you, have you really started to change?” The Frenchwoman noticed that Nerissa didn't like it when she talked about it, so after eating a piece of cheese she decided to answer the question. “Unlike you and Astrid, I'm not in the habit of making enemies, so for now my career is in Victoria's hands." She shrugged. “I long to be back in the ring, but maybe the absence of matches is good so far, the PPV is coming soon and I want to cover Astrid's back, and for that I have to be full of strength.”

While Charlotte and Nerissa were talking, Astrid picked up the phone, noticing the notification. She hadn't told her friends about it yet, but she was waiting for an important message. And it just so happened that this was exactly what she was waiting for, because it was a message from her manager, Victoria.

“She's on her way. With her sister.”

Astrid smiled and put the phone aside, then clapped her hands to attract the attention of her friends. Nerissa and Charlotte turned their heads to the blonde at the same time, looking at her questioningly. The two of them came here to have a good time, but Astrid was here for something else too. She needed to talk to someone and she wanted to do it on neutral territory.

“We'll have company soon!" She said, picking up a new glass of beer.

“What kind of company?” Nerissa did not understand.

“And why didn't you say so earlier?" Charlotte was surprised.

“Too many questions, huh!" The Norwegian woman grinned. “Where is your spirit of adventurism?” Putting the glass on the table, she dipped the fries in the cheese sauce and put it in her mouth. “Anyway, I promise you'll like it!” After these words, Charlotte and Nerissa rolled their eyes, still not understanding why such a mystery.

[Vc0m]

Tokyo was the biggest city in the world, so it's night-life was second to none. Because of that, any way a person would've liked to spend their night in the city would likely find their reprieve in one ward or another. Clara, even though she gained a lot of confidence through wrestling, was still an introvert, and as such, she still wasn't much for bars and restaurants and the "busier" side of the night life.

As such, when Clara got the invitation from Astrid Arvidsson to meet up at a bar in a few days...she was fairly intimidated. This is despite the fact that the LAW Openweight champion was a very noble fighter, despite the fact that both of them left everything there was in their Pumpkin Coffin match the previous year. Despite the fact that Clara wanted to fight Astrid again, she was still intimidated by Astrid calling her over to a public space at night like this.

Still, Astrid mentioned that plus ones were more than allowed. Kay was sadly busy that night, so the Brit called up the next best person for the job of keeping her company in the bar, especially in case things get out of hand...

"But still, please no intentional fights... Actually I haven't checked. You weren't banned from this one, right?", she would say as they approached the bar on the train, a couple of minutes after she texted to Victoria that the two of them were on their way.

"Not that I recall?", her sister would answer, to a sound of disappointment from Clara:

"Good enough I guess...", she grumbled, as Alice cackled in response:

"But isn't that why you got me to go with you? As security?"

"Not...quite. Just...I have a bad feeling about this. Not from the "I'm gonna get beaten up" sense, but: "I'm going to stumble and fall and make a fool of myself" sort of way. I don't feel comfortable in bars...which was probably the idea by Astrid."

"Speaking off...I recall some details, but I think I met her in person? Maybe?"

"When?", Clara would say as they exit the train, making their way out of the station towards the bar:

"When I fought with Nerissa in a bar. I think they were the ones that stopped the brawl? It's fuzzy, I was drunk."

Clara's face formed into a displeased expression, remembering collecting Alice from that particular brawl. At the time, she wasn't familiar with Astrid, and her mind was too preoccupied with Apex, her girlfriend and the Baroness. She was getting more and more nervous, being out of her element, and playing right into Astrid's hands...

As they stood at the entrance to the bar, Clara took a deep breath. In. Out.

"Let's go"

Finally, Clara entered the bar, and quickly scanned the room. People recognized her, but, red-faced she excused herself, while Alice was more open to people greeting her.

After a few seconds, she found the table where Astrid sat...and she was not alone, as Clara blushed when she saw Nerissa alongside her. Thinking so much about seeing Astrid tonight, she completely forgot about wanting to fight Nerissa for the last two days...despite the fact that the Echidna still had her "prize" from their previous match, the 5 minutes to do whatever she wanted to Clara.

Her mind was racing in, what the Brit believed, a completely wrong direction, and thankfully, Alice would be the one to break the derailed thought train:

"What's up assholes, how are you doing?"

Clara glanced back at her sister...and she already looked slightly red in the face and a little tipsy!

"We just came in!", the Brit would say, in shocked whisper to her sister, before glancing back at the scene. She realized late that besides Astrid and Nerissa, there was a third woman with them, recognizing her as Charlotte, another woman who Victoria managed.

"Um...h-hi!", Clara tried to greet the trio...

[skip-stop]

“Actually, it's not like you at all,” Charlotte said, taking a short sip of wine. “It was your brilliant idea to mix me strong alcohol when we were in Las Vegas, wasn't it?” Astrid's lips curved in a grin at that moment, because it was the truth. “You're always looking for adventures on your ass, so... it's not like you...”

“Actually, why don't you get off me, pink cunt?” Nerissa replied irritably, but at the same time a blush appeared on her cheeks. “Do you want me to have a drink? Do you think I can't?”

Charlotte raised her left eyebrow, while Astrid put her right elbow on the table and rested her cheek on her palm. Nerissa poured herself a shot of whiskey and drank it. The Frenchwoman, who had been trying to suppress any emotions for the past seven years, still did not understand what caused her friend's behavior. And Astrid, even though she guessed everything, wasn't going to say it out loud. It was just a pleasure for her to watch her best friends, who made her better. Both as a fighter and as a person.

While Charlotte was trying to get something intelligible out of Nerissa, Astrid's eyes darted to the entrance to the bar. The corners of her lips lifted. Finally. She saw that two women had entered the place. She knew they weren't siblings, but they looked very harmonious together. Since Nerissa and Charlotte were sitting with their backs to the entrance, they could not see the new arrivals, but Astrid did not consider it necessary to notify them. Instead, the blonde just watched as Clara and Alice approached their table.

Due to the active dialogue, Charlotte and Nerissa forgot that the company should join them soon. And when Alice's voice rang out next to them, both women abruptly turned their heads to the side. Charlotte reacted relatively calmly to their appearance, but Nerissa's eyes literally began to shine. And when Clara greeted them, the Native American woman literally jumped up from her seat, spreading her arms towards the brunette's neck.

“Clara!” She exclaimed.

Surely she would have hugged her, but suddenly something stopped her. It was Charlotte who got up after her friend and grabbed her by the collar to stop her. Not expecting such a turn of events, Nerissa barely managed to keep her balance, after which she pursed her lips, glancing at the Frenchwoman.

“Stay calm and don't embarrass our guests,” Charlotte said in an even voice, letting go of her friend's collar. “Besides, they're here at Astrid's invitation.”

"Shhh..." Nerissa hissed softly, after which a blush appeared on her cheeks because she realized that she really shouldn't have reacted so violently. “Hi, Clara!” She said, for some reason not looking her in the eye, after which she turned to the other brunette. “Alice... been a while!”

Nerissa sat back down on the sofa, continuing to sneak peeks at Clara. It has been a long time since the last meeting, or rather since their last match. A lot has changed since then and she didn't have time to figure it all out, but she was definitely glad to see her. The Native American woman was completely unprepared for the fact that it was these two that Astrid invited here today. But it was for the best because it was her chance to talk to Clara, which she had wanted to do for a long time.

“Clara, Alice,” Charlotte said, glancing at the British women in turn, after which she clenched her right fist, pressed it against her outstretched left palm and bowed to both of them. “It's nice to meet you personally, I've heard a lot about you, I'm Charlotte Ravel'.” Straightening up to her full height, she extended her right hand forward, offering a handshake first to Clara, then to Alice.

Astrid laughed softly at the Frenchwoman's actions. Even outside the ring, she always showed respect to those whom she considered worthy fighters. It was the blonde's turn to get up from her seat, which she did. She had no difficulty noticing that Clara was feeling a little insecure and that she would probably prefer to meet in a more private place, but Astrid had her own reasons for inviting her here. But none of these reasons pursued any benefit for the Norwegian woman, on the contrary.

“Clara,” Astrid nodded to the brunette, greeting her, after which she turned to Alice. “Alice... no hard feelings about last time, I hope?” In their last meeting, Astrid was forced to knock her out after she ignored the blonde's request to stay put. “The situation was hot, so I suggest we get to know each other again, I'm Astrid Arvidsson!”

With these words, she extended her right hand to the short-haired brunette. And if everything had gone smoothly, then after that they would all have become personally acquainted with each other. Astrid would have sat down on the sofa again, running her eyes over all the members of this unusual company gathered here today. Finally, her gaze settled on Clara and she allowed herself to smile.

“Charlotte, Nerissa, Alice, me and Clara need to talk,” she said, addressing the others. “May I ask you to leave us for a while, please?” As if it were a normal thing, the blonde took her glass of beer and took a few sips. “We need to discuss some business, but it won't take long.” Astrid left the glass back on the table. “And after that, if everyone wants to, we can spend the rest of the evening together, we don't have to beat each other every time we meet, right?”

Nerissa and Charlotte looked first at Astrid, then at each other. The Native American woman got up first and left the table. When she got close to Clara, it was as if she wanted to say something, but she was able to restrain herself and decided that they would still have time to talk. Instead, she shot Astrid a sharp look.

“Don't hurt her, okay?”

“Phah, you should have told her that instead of me!” The blonde grinned.

Nerissa snorted, and then turned to Alice. Her lips curved into a wide smile because they hadn't seen each other since their grandiose bloody match. But although a lot of water has flowed since then... Nerissa bent her right arm at the elbow and wrapped it around the brunette's neck in a friendly way, dragging her to the bar.

“So, I heard you got the title shot for the lightweight championship!” She said. “It's very nice of you to decide to hold this for me!”

After Nerissa, Charlotte got up from her seat. She glanced briefly at Astrid, then looked at Clara. The Frenchwoman seemed to be trying to look into the soul of this woman. She had an idea about what exactly her friend wanted to talk to the brunette about. And she couldn't say that…

“Charlotte...” Astrid said, tilting her head slightly to the side.

“Hmm...”

Without saying anything, the pink-haired woman followed Nerissa and Alice, leaving Astrid and Clara alone. After emptying her glass of beer in three gulps, Astrid motioned to the waitress that she needed another one, after which she looked Clara up and down. Sometimes she forgets how funny life is. Since she joined LAW, she had fought many women, each of them was strong, but perhaps none of them fought as desperately as Clara. The blonde smiled softly.

“Shall we talk?” She said, then pointed to the sofa opposite her where Nerissa and Charlotte had been sitting until recently. “Please, sit down and be my guest.” At that moment, the waitress came up to the table and put a new glass of beer in front of her. “Snacks are already on the table, but would you like something to drink?”

[Vc0m]

Clara's blush deepened, as she smiled at seeing Nerissa greeting her, though Charlotte would stop Nerissa from hugging the Brit, much to her confusion.

"It's not a problem, I am happy to see you, Nerissa...", though by the time she greeted the brunette, she had already turned to greet her sister:

"What's up, bish?", she said in a slightly slurred manner: "Still have some cuts from our match, I see?"

Nerissa would sit down, looking at Alice as Clara's focus went to the table at large. It was strange, however, whenever she tried to take a look at Nerissa, the Native American was looking at her...but swiftly, her eyes would dart away from the Brit. Despite being a guest at this table, she felt the awkwardness of the meeting creeping up to the surface.

Charlotte, would, thankfully break the silence, as she introduced herself to the Gaster sisters:

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Ravel.", Clara would politely say, as Alice judged the other woman's face:

"Weren't you there when the champ knocked me out?", Alice would say, with Clara turning to her, an expression of shock and anger on her face. On the one hand, she was angry that Alice had an VERY rough introduction to the trio...but also, she felt the weight of the meeting that much more. Everyone here was aware of each other casually (in one form or another), whereas Clara only had one meeting with Nerissa in a cafe.

She was overthinking this. She knew she was overthinking this...so why was her anxiety still out of control? Was bringing Alice here was actually the worse idea?

Astrid's voice snapped the Brit out of her trance, as Astrid actually reintroduced herself to Alice, the shorter Brit casually smiling at the champion, the look on her face not sharing any worries about standing face to chest with the current champion:

"No hard feelings, champ...until I get you in the ring one of these days...", Alice chuckled, as she shook the blonde's hand.

As Clara saw the scene unfold in front of her, she wondered - why was this so easy for Alice? It wasn't just the alcohol. It helped a little with anxiety, but Alice definitely had something that let her flow in conversations that Clara didn't. It was strange, despite the fact that Clara was the one to bring Astrid to her limit, standing toe to toe with her, she still had a feeling of being backed into the corner...

Once again, Astrid would snap Clara out of her anxious thought train, wanting to speak to the Brit one on one, before enjoying the rest of the night together.

"R-right...", Clara would say, unsure...as Nerissa would get up off the table, wanting to say something to Clara...but instead turning to Astrid, sharply telling her to not hurt her.

Clara's eyes raised in surprise, her anxious thought train arriving at the conclusion that there was, indeed, a brawl brewing and this was a set up! Astrid blowing off the comment, however, let the Brit know that she was off the mark once more.

Nerissa would then carry the tipsy Alice towards the counter, Alice smiling as she planned to properly order a drink and get properly drunk!

"Hell fucking yes I did! I'll beat Annie, and when you challenge me, I'll beat the fucking hell out of you!"

Alice's drunken ramblings faded away as Charlotte and Astrid seemingly had a wordless conversation with looks, before finally, the Frenchwoman left. Clara and Astrid were now left one on one, as the two of them sat down, with Astrid finishing her beer, and ordering for more. The two women sat opposite one another as the waiter brought Astrid her beer, the Brit instead asking for a Mojito for the evening.

Taking a deep breath, Clara spoke: "So...what did you want to talk about?"

[skip-stop]

When Astrid and Clara were alone, the British woman accepted the blonde's invitation and sat down opposite her. While Clara was ordering one of the lightest alcoholic drinks possible, the Norwegian woman took a few sips of fresh beer, after which she sent a juicy chicken nugget into her mouth. The brunette's heavy sigh did not escape her attention, it seems even now it was hard for Clara to be here, but still Clara found the strength to ask what exactly Astrid wanted to talk about.

“Amazing...” Astrid said, placing her elbow on the table and then resting her cheek on her palm. “Amazing women...”

It might seem that she just ignored Clara's question, but in fact she didn't want to go straight to the point. Sometimes, for a good conversation, you need to look around first. In this particular case, Astrid's gaze was directed behind the brunette's back, namely at Charlotte, Nerissa and Alice.

“Charlotte...” the corners of Astrid's lips lifted, because this Frenchwoman was even closer to her than Nerissa. “You know, Victoria often says that Charlotte, Nerissa and I are always one step ahead or one step behind from each other." The blonde took a short sip of beer. “But actually Charlotte is stronger than me and Nerissa together.” There was a flash of sadness in the Norwegian woman's eyes. “She just doesn't know yet.” After another sip of beer, a smile returned to Astrid's lips. “I have never met a fighter more noble than her, she strives with all her heart to reach the top because she thinks that only in this way she will be able to escape far enough from her past...”

It would be wrong to delve into her friend's personal life too deeply, so Astrid stopped herself in time. Nevertheless, it was clear from her face that she sincerely admired Charlotte. Dipping French fries in cheese sauce, the blonde allowed herself to make a short pause, after which her gaze went to the back of Nerissa, who was engaged in some kind of active dialogue with Alice.

“Nerissa...” Astrid's smile turned into a smirk. “When Victoria introduced us, the first thing she told me to do was go into the ring, because she wanted to know how loud the closet like me was falling." The blonde laughed softly, recalling her first sparring session with the Native American woman. “Few people have such a fate as hers, and not everyone manages to cope with something like this." Astrid tapped her beer glass with her fingernails. “All her life she had to fight for a place in the sun, proving over and over again what she really deserves." Astrid looked briefly into Clara's eyes. “She's aiming for the top of LAW because she thinks that only when you're at the top there's no one else to look down on you...”

After draining her glass, the Norwegian woman gestured to the waitress for another beer, after which she grabbed a garlic toast. After eating it, the champion wiped her hands with a napkin, and then finally stopped staring at the backs of her friends, returning all attention to Clara. Of course, they weren't friends, one could hardly even say that they knew each other well, but at that moment Astrid looked at the brunette as if they really got along well.

“I feel stronger when I'm around them,” Astrid admitted. “They inspire me.” As soon as the new glass of beer was on the table, the Norwegian woman immediately took a sip. “They, their stories and their aspirations…” it was Astrid's turn to take a deep breath. “Even if their reasons for aiming so high are wrong…” Another nugget went into the blonde's mouth. “I flatter myself with the confidence that I know them well and therefore it seems to me that I really see something that they do not see themselves yet...” She crossed her arms under her chest. “And of course I could say this to each of them, but I'm afraid it won't change anything, each of us has our own path and at the right moment each of us will open our eyes to see the real reasons for our aspirations.”

The champion smiled. Both in the ring and in everyday life, she rarely talked that much. So even she was a little surprised at how much she dumped on Clara. Realizing this, Astrid scratched her head with an awkward expression, as if apologizing to the British woman.

“What did I want to talk about?” She repeated Clara's question. “Obviously I want to talk about you and your desire to get another title shot, huh!" Astrid took a sip. “At the end of our conversation, I will ask you a question that I will not demand an immediate answer to, I want you to think carefully about this question, I even risk to assume that you will have to go through several matches to find the answer, and then when the time comes, I will ask you again, and if you answer right, then we will meet again in the ring with the openweight championship at stake. Is that okay with you, Clara?”

[Vc0m]

Clara was definitely too tense for what Astrid wanted from the situation. Still, she wanted to be mostly clear headed regarding her decisions. Whether she liked it or not, the following conversation was going to decide her career trajectory going forward...

Suddenly, the talk would go to Astrid's...friends? Comrades? Clara wasn't fully sure about the relationship between Victoria's clients...but quickly, she discovered the utter admiration the champion had for both Charlotte and Nerissa.

Charlotte was, naturally, a bigger unknown to Clara than either Nerissa or Astrid were. But it was interesting to see the LAW Openweight Champion admit that someone was stronger than she was, though she wondered about the Frenchwoman's past in that regard.

Nerissa, Clara knew a lot about, despite the fact that the two of them only met a total of 4 times (both of their matches, her's and Alice's Apex match, and their talk in cafe). You learn a lot about what drives someone through fighting and wrestling them, be the match a regular one or a lewd one...

It was hard for Clara not to think back to her friends and women that drove her to be where she was. Her mind wandered to her friends, like Alice, who she managed to stop from a destructive path at a vulnerable point in her life, to Chika, whom Clara still considered her measuring stick as a wrestler, who fought to provide for her daughter, to her girlfriend, Kay, who was fighting to keep her home afloat...and then there were enemies, like Yoko and the Baroness, women who belittled her during her career, who harmed people dear to her, who both still had their twisted reasons to be wrestlers to this very day...

All of these thoughts, Clara couldn't honor with a proper reply...but her mind would automatically force her to mutter: "I understand..."

But in the end, it was easy to judge someone from aside, to tell them what they needed to do to get better on their path to success, which bumps in the road to avoid. Sometimes, it was difficult to do that for yourself, even with outside help...

From there, Clara was deducing what Astrid's critical question was going to be.

"Is that okay with you, Clara?"

The Norwegian woman would once again snap the Brit out of her thoughts, to the point where Clara realized too late that her mojito was already on the table. Taking a quick sip, letting the light amount of alcohol into her body (taking the train was the right decision after all, though Clara had no clue how she and her sister were going to get back, if they were going to stay here late), Clara took a deep breath, and responded simply:

"It is"

The answer was clear, but Clara felt the weight of the world...her own, little world she's built in almost 14 years that she's been a wrestler. Clara felt like that, even though she only suspected Astrid's question, she could tell that her answer would require a look back over all that time...

[skip-stop]

It seems that Astrid's words made a much stronger impression on the British woman than it might seem at first glance. Clara literally plunged into her thoughts after the champion told some details about her best friends. The blonde had no psychological talents, but she was sure she knew what Clara was thinking. In the brunette's eyes, she clearly saw that Clara was thinking about her past. Astrid barely managed to keep from smiling. She certainly didn't want Clara to get too deep into her thoughts, but she really wanted Clara to have food for thought as a result of this conversation.

When Astrid asked Clara a simple question, it knocked the brunette out of the stream of thoughts. After taking a sip of her light cocktail, Clara gave a very concise answer to the Norwegian woman's question. Smiling at her companion, Astrid nodded and ate another nugget.

“You know, Charlotte and I believe that you don't truly know someone until you fight them," she said, dipping an onion ring into cheese sauce. “You fought desperately and steadfastly, it didn't escape me, but at the same time, something else didn't escape me too.”

The blonde paused briefly to eat an onion ring and take a few sips of beer. She felt like alcohol was finally starting to run through her veins, but she wasn't drunk yet, at least she was sure she could end the conversation with Clara without slurring her tongue.

“It seems to me that you wanted to win simply because you have been striving for this for too long,” Astrid expressed her thought. “The title and the top of LAW have ceased to be a goal for you, turning into just an obsession." Astrid tilted her head slightly to the side, looking into Clara's eyes. “But do you really think that becoming a champion and being a champion are the same thing?”

Astrid smiled sadly, because unlike those many who dream of being at the top, she knew for sure that the title belt is not just an accessory that allows you to get the biggest matches, not to mention salary bonuses and huge popularity. Of course, she had no doubt that there were those who aspired to become a champion solely for the sake of these things, but for her the truth was different.

“When I was informed that I would become the first Openweight champion, I was more pleased than ever in my life,” she said with a grin, which was very obvious. “Who wouldn't be happy in my place, right?” It was a rhetorical question. “And then I realized that now I have responsibility on my shoulders." The blonde finished her beer and gestured to the waitress for another glass. “How do you call a ship, like this it will float... my purpose as the first Openweight champion is to give prestige to the title, which will be significant both for fans and for those who want to try to become the next champion.” She said, after which she ate a garlic toast. “After all, the woman who will become a champion after me will receive not just a golden belt, she will receive all the stories that this belt has acquired during my reign.” The waitress brought her a beer and with it Astrid ordered two shots of honey whiskey. “So I want to turn the Openweight title into my legacy, which will be important both for the next champion and for all the fans who come to see how the strongest women on the planet strive to leave their mark on history.” Two more sips of beer. “And that's why I swore that I would only lose on the day when I wouldn't regret anything.” She said with a smile. “Of course, many people, including you, have tried to keep me from keeping this oath, but I will allow myself a little flattery and say that so far I have never broken my oaths and promises, huh!”

Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that Astrid has not talked as much as she does today for many years. After wetting her throat with another sip of beer, she was about to eat something, but at that moment the waitress returned to them, putting two shots of honey whiskey on the table. Flashing lavender eyes, the blonde took one shot for herself, and pushed the other one closer to Clara.

“Tell me honestly, if you had become the first Openweight champion instead of me, would you have coped with the responsibility that would have fallen on your shoulders?" Astrid asked, raising the shot, thereby offering Clara to clink glasses with a hint that she would not accept a refusal.

[Vc0m]

The Mojito wasn't too alcoholic, but already helped the Brit loosen up a little. She took a nearby nugget, and dipped it in cheese to snack on, listening to Astrid. She nodded at the blonde's assertion thst fighting someone opens the person to you a little more. Paradoxically, fighting her girlfriend when she did was probably better for their relationship in the long term than if she stayed quiet.

For Clara in her match with Astrid, she learned a lot about the blonde, that she was a tenacious woman who would put her life on the line for matches, who made defeating her, the first LAW Openweight Champion a monumental task to make the title mean "the best".

And as Astrid explained to Clara , that itself was a massive responsibility for the Norweigan. She promised herself that every match, every story this title has already seen in its first reign, every little thing means everything and more once Astrid finally loses it, and the person who bests her can keep the legacy alive...

With that, Astrid would offer Clara some honey whiskey and asked a question and a clink of glasses. Clara accepted the honey whiskey, clinked with Astrid's glass...but wouldn't drink it yet, as she thought of her answer:

"I would've. For several reasons. I saw what an unruly champion who only cares about herself does to a title. As much as I still respect the Lightweight title, I feel like it is tainted as a prize. Part of why i wanted to be the first champion as well was to make sure this never happened again, because...I love this company. Sadly, in my case, my performance at Apex didn't reflect that. I had...other concerns..."

At this point, Clara would drink the honey whiskey, letting it burn her throat a little (with a tinge of sweetness), using the alcohol to ignore the awful period at the end of Apex caused to her by the Baroness.

"I couldn't even think about proving myself for the title when I had to save my girlfriend from the clutches of my archnemesis. I couldn't fight to give a performance that would've showcased me as a valid champion. I was almost content with the fact that i wouldn't become champion...right up until you were announced as one."

"We never met before, obviously...but it was a mix of emotions for me. I knew the belt was in safe hands with you. I knew you were going to be a great bar for LAW to test other women, to make the belt mean what i wanted it to mean had i won..."

Clara smiled, looking away from the blonde's eyes.

"...that envy was there. I cannot deny it in the slightest. And also greed, as I said that day, because I wanted that belt to be the best. And that is why i challanged you last Halloween. To see whether you were worthier as the first champion...or maybe, if i was given an option, i would've been the better choice..."

Clara sipped a little bit of a Mojito, as she looked into Astrid's eyes with respect:

"You proved to me that last year was not the time. To reiterate again, I would've tried to make the title mean "the best", had matches against toughest opponents, fought like hell to keep it, made great women be even greater in order to beat me to get it...but I will admit. I might not have done it as well as you are doing now..."

[skip-stop]

“I heard about the situation...” Astrid said with a smooth nod after Clara's story about her Apex match.

The women clinked glasses and drank together. The honey whiskey burned the blonde's throat, but left a pleasant aftertaste. Astrid allowed herself to smile because what had just happened between her and Clara in Norway was considered a sign of trust. You will never drink with someone you don't trust. So it was a good start, especially considering that after that the British woman both answered Astrid's question and shared some other thoughts.

Slowly sipping a beer and occasionally eating one or another snack, the descendant of the great Vikings listened attentively to her interlocutor. It seems that their match really changed a lot, because unlike their previous conversation, Clara seemed much more honest, both with Astrid and with herself. This earned the brunette even more respect from the blonde, because Astrid firmly believed that if the match helped you change, then this match was really significant.

“I appreciate your honesty,” Astrid said after Clara finished. “It turns out we have a little more in common than many people think, huh...” the Norwegian woman tapped her fingers on the table. “Of course, I wasn't trying to save my girlfriend in my Apex match, but I was trying to save a woman I once admired because I believe that sometimes we all need help, especially if for one reason or another we step on the wrong path...” after making a short pause, Astrid remembered her story with Diana. “And I can assure you that I share your feelings about the lightweight title." Astrid took a short sip of beer, glancing behind Clara, namely at Alice. “She's strong, maybe it's with her that the lightweight division will have a more... hmm... hopeful era.”

Before she could say anything else, the waitress came over and put a huge plate of brisket on the table. At that moment, Astrid's eyes shone like a little child's. She really liked Japanese cuisine, but brisket was one of her favorite types of meat. The feeling of meat fibers literally melting on your tongue is simply unforgettable.

“Like you, I also love this company,” Astrid said, taking a thin piece of meat from the plate. “It may seem to you to be exaggerated to some extent, because I am much less here than you, but believe me, it's true." After taking a bite, Astrid involuntarily rolled her eyes, at the same time starting to moan softly with pleasure. “By Odin's beard, it's just great, please try it!” She was honest in her words because it was incredibly soft and juicy meat. “Therefore, I will continue to do what I am doing, no matter what it costs me, I would rather die than let someone who is unworthy of it to get my title!”

Getting hot, Astrid did not notice how her voice became too emotional on the last words. Because of this realization, a slight blush formed on her cheeks and she hurried to take two sips of beer, after which she took a deep breath, returning to a calmer tone of voice.

“But, of course, the purpose of a champion is not only to give prestige to the title,” she said, casting a brief glance at her friends. “I really liked your words about how if the title were yours, you would make great women even greater." Astrid confessed, nodding respectfully to her interlocutor. “Yes, that's how a real champion should think.” A sip of beer. “I'll tell you even more, being a champion, you have to be ready to help everyone who really needs it." Astrid's lips curled into a smile. “Sometimes such help can be expressed in knocking the shit out of the head, sometimes in a test of strength at hot springs, and sometimes...” the blonde spread her arms to the sides, at the same time looking around the bar, giving Clara a frank hint that the words just said were not just words, but reality. “A heart-to-heart in a bar with good food and drinks!”

[Vc0m]

The trip down memory lane of last year did help put the things into perspective for Clara. Though slightly tipsy, she could see that both her match vs Baroness and her match vs Astrid helped her become a bigger, more confident person. The latter match is what prompted Clara to be a bit more honest with the blonde here compared to when they first met. And naturally, Astrid's APEX bout brought things to a head against Diana.

As the talk headed to be about the Lightweight title, it was natural that Astrid, proud champion that she was, would agree with her with the title's place at the moment.

"I think Annie will do a good job as well...though obviously, between Alice and her, I have a favourite I'd rather see win" Clara would say with a smile, seeing Alice relaxing with Nerissa and Charlotte. "She's been through a lot...from everyone, myself included. Twice. I still think she hadn't forgiven me for her scar..."

The potential negative thought train was immediately interrupted once more, this time by a plate of briskets being put into the middle of the table. Growing interested, Clara picked off a piece from the plate, putting it into her mouth as Astrid talked about her title reign, and who she wanted to lose the belt to, getting quite heated about the this. Clara's eyes were open wide at the fired up Norweigan, before she realized just how fired up she was. Calming down, she explained to Clara about champion giving a helping hand whenever she could, today's encounter included:

"...oh...but...hmm..."

This statement confused Clara slightly, unsure if she wanted to ask about this, as she sipped a bit more of her Mojito

"...but...help me how?"