"Besides the conference with fans and journalists, huh?" The blonde grinned. "Well, actually the most surprising thing was that I was more often recognized on the street, at first it was a real shock for me, but I'm starting to get used to it."
Astrid was sitting on a chair at a low stage, and her title belt was on the table in front of her. The Norwegian woman lowered the microphone and looked around the conference hall, there were so many people that it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was no free space for an apple to fall. Fans and journalists took all the available seats and some even had to stand on their feet. And although Astrid has communicated with the audience more than once while in the ring, it was unexpected for her that so many people came here to see her.
Astrid Arvidsson
Openweight Title
LAW management decided to make a fan event today, which was undoubtedly connected with the upcoming PPV. The management wanted to create a stir and there would hardly be a better way than to give fans and journalists the opportunity to personally communicate with the fighters. It was hard to say whether Astrid would have received her own panel today if not for her new status, but the fact remained. The first
openweight champion of the had the largest hall at her disposal and, judging by the number of questions she had already answered, the management did not make a mistake, giving her the opportunity to communicate with the fans.
There was a slight smile on the blonde's lips. Despite the fact that it was still unusual for her to interact with such a large number of people, she was in a very good mood. She was not one of those who was ready to open her soul to the first person she met, however, to her surprise, sharing emotions with them turned out to be much easier than she thought. Their questions gave her the opportunity to share some story from her life, and sometimes the questions became the ground for a real discussion. Astrid was glad of this because if she wanted to be a worthy champion, she needs not only to be able to swing her fists, but also to confidently interact with her fans, and it's not always that easy.
"Well," she said. "For better or worse, I think our time is running out, most of the other fighters have already finished their panels, so let me answer two more questions and we'll finish on this."
At the same moment, several dozen hands were raised, which made Astrid shake her head slightly. This showed that they still had a lot of questions. On the one hand, this was not surprising, because the Norwegian woman rarely expressed a desire to share her personal life, and now that she became a champion, she simply had no choice, which many of those present here wanted to take advantage of. However, Astrid decided to cheat and instead of choosing another journalist, pointed to a young girl who had already raised her hand several times, but never got the opportunity to ask a question.
"Yes, you!" Astrid said. "I'll be happy to find out your name and hear your question."
"Murata Moriko," the girl introduced herself, after which a blush appeared on her cheeks, which was hard not to notice, which clearly alerted Astrid. "Are you in a relationship with anyone?"
"Oh..."
A whisper ran through the hall, while the Norwegian woman slightly pursed her lips. Yes, her attempt to avoid sharp questions clearly failed. Telling funny stories about going to a bar with her friends is one thing, but sharing such personal information is quite another.
"Hmmm... I won't hide that I would prefer not to answer this question at all because I believe that personal life is not just called personal," Astrid spent a few more seconds thinking, but then decided to give an answer. "In any case, I think this question is strange, if I should answer directly, then, no, I'm not in a relationship with anyone, nevertheless, I have had several dates, and I have several women that I like."
"Women?" One of the journalists did not miss the opportunity.
"Yes, women," Astrid repeated, then grinned. "Ahead of the next two questions, no, I won't name them and, no, I have nothing against men, it just so happened that most of my time I'm surrounded by women, so you should not look for something hidden in this."
The Norwegian woman's tone clearly indicated that she no longer wanted to develop this topic, so no one else dared to try to extract more details from her. Astrid was completely satisfied with this and therefore a smile returned to her face. Maybe someday she won't have a reason to build a wall between her fans and her personal life, but that day hasn't come yet. Considering that Astrid has a real weakness for strong women, she really would like to try to build a relationship, but so far no one needs to know about it. So it's time for the last question.
"You're from Kyodo News, right?" Astrid nodded towards the journalist. "You're lucky, your question will be the last one, so ask."
"That's right, Schon Hollyberg, Kyodo News," the man introduced himself. "Halloween is coming, and with it a major PPV." These words caused a new wave of whispers, and the right corner of Astrid's lips rose noticeably. "As the first openweight champion, you are responsible for the prestige of the title and perhaps it is impossible to argue with the fact that the prestige of the title is primarily increased by high-profile matches with outstanding opponents." Astrid nodded approvingly, and the noise in the hall noticeably increased, which caused the journalist to raise his voice slightly. "Therefore, the question is quite logical, should we wait for the title defense and who will be the next to get a chance to take the top of LAW?"
An excited buzzing filled the entire conference room. Astrid also did not restrain her emotions, which is why she bared her teeth. There were not much questions about the ring today because journalists and fans wanted to know her other side. Nevertheless, the blonde was ready for this question. That's right, she really had a responsibility on her shoulders. She didn't have pink glasses in front of her eyes, and therefore she was well aware that even after everything, many people think that they are more worthy of the place that she got. Reading the comments on the Internet, Astrid was genuinely surprised by the conceit of some fighters who openly or almost openly said that the openweight title should have gone to them. Well...
"Dessert time, isn't it, huh?" Astrid joked, after which she looked at the golden belt lying on the table in front of her. "I like that you mentioned the prestige of the title because I completely agree with those words." Astrid propped her chin with her left hand. "If you look at the list of those who have the right to claim my title, then you will see a lot of worthy women there, each of whom has come a long way." Astrid's lavender eyes seemed to flash. "And although each of them has the right to challenge me, there are those with whom I have unfinished business."
Many of those present understood who Astrid was talking about, after all, there were not so many obstacles in her career that she could not overcome. And considering that she has said more than once that if she failed to overcome an obstacle the first time, then she will do it the second time, journalists and fans got an idea of who exactly the champion wants to see as the next contender.
"Halloween and the upcoming PPV gives an amazing opportunity," the blonde continued. "And although not so long ago I was not a supporter of excessive show-off, thanks to one woman I changed this position." Astrid recalled Diana with a smile on her face, because it was their match that turned into a real show. "So, yes, you will definitely see the title defense at the upcoming PPV, with coffins, pumpkins, skeletons and other great Halloween stuff, and now..." Astrid made a dramatic pause so that everyone had the opportunity to hold their breath. "The next contender for my title will be..."
