Re: Heart-to-heart
Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 12:32 pm
"Oh..." Astrid joined her fingers together, resting her chin on them. “I didn't know about it.”
Everyone has skeletons in their closet that we don't want to show to anyone. That Astrid did not know that the scar on Alice's face was left by Clara was not surprising. But the surprising thing was that the brunette decided to tell her about it. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but apparently Clara really felt that she could trust the Norwegian woman.
“Hey,” Astrid said, noticing that Clara was lost in unpleasant thoughts after telling about her sister. “She went to a bloody match against Nerissa for you.” She reminded. “Not everyone is ready for this, even if it's about a relative.” The blonde smiled at Clara, not wanting her to take on too much. “So if I were you, I'd be thinking about how cool your sister is, not that she might not have forgiven you for the past.”
Clara didn't react too strongly to the delicious brisket, but Astrid's words definitely made an impression on her. It was easy to see that the British woman was embarrassed once again, but after a sip of mojito, she decided to clarify what exactly Astrid's help was. Before answering, the blonde motioned to the waitress that she needed another glass of beer and two shots of whiskey.
“Why do you think we're here?” It was a rhetorical question that Astrid was going to answer herself. “You'd probably prefer to talk to me at Victoria's office or during a private sparring session, wouldn't you?” It was obvious, because when Clara came here, everything was written on her face. “But look at you now, here we are sitting and talking, while the crowd around almost doesn't bother you anymore!”
The waitress put a glass of beer and two shots in front of Astrid, one of which the blonde pushed towards her interlocutor, after which she took a few sips of beer. Surely Clara has already begun to guess where the wind is blowing from and why Astrid chose this place. Even if not, the Norwegian woman wasn't going to keep it a secret, not after Clara plucked up the courage and openly asked about it.
“I've seen your promos, you're always confident in the ring,” she smiled. “I think this is another quality of a real fighter, I, like Charlotte and Nerissa, also feel most confident in the ring." Astrid paused briefly to take a bite of the juicy brisket. “But if you want to get to the top, you have to be confident in yourself both in the ring and outside it.” Astrid has become a little more serious. “We are all human beings and life somehow makes us doubt, but for a fighter any doubts are an unacceptable luxury.” She explained. “Doubts inevitably lead to defeat, so you should not doubt yourself, because one day you may find yourself in front of a woman who will need help even if she does not know about it herself.”
Yes, she knew for a fact that Clara would have preferred to meet in a more private setting. But if you're a fighter, you have to be able to get out of your comfort zone. Astrid learned this well after becoming a champion. She preferred to speak in the language of her fists, but it doesn't work with the audience and fans. Therefore, she had to learn to open her soul to them. Initially, she felt like a schoolgirl when she had a microphone in her hands. So she wanted Clara to step out of her comfort zone today. And, apparently, the British woman did not let her down.
“So,” Astrid said, wiping her hands on a napkin. “My question is very simple, but I want you to think about it well and give me an answer not today, but when you are ready." The blonde took a sip of beer and set the glass aside, focusing on Clara. “You've been through a lot, you've had both grandiose ups and equally grandiose downs.” She reminded. “You were honest with me today and I appreciate it, but when you give me an answer, I want you to be honest with yourself first." She glanced briefly at Nerissa and Charlotte behind Clara's back. “As I told you, it seems to me that their reasons for striving for the top are wrong, but I believe when they understand why they are actually striving so high, they will both become stronger than ever." Astrid's gaze returned to Clara. “And once you understand that too, you will also become much stronger than before, so my question, Clara, is...” Astrid tilted her head slightly forward. “Why do you want to become a champion?”
Perhaps this simple question was the only one that really mattered. Every girl and woman in the federation has their reasons to fight to get to the top one day. But today it wasn't about them. Today it was only about Clara. Fighting with her, Astrid felt the flames in her soul, but even that wasn't enough to get the golden belt. A true champion is more than just a good fighter. And a true champion is fighting for more than just money and fame.
As their conversation was coming to an end, Astrid raised her hand and waved to Charlotte, Nerissa and Alice, inviting them back to the table. Also, to defuse the situation, Astrid pushed a shot towards the brunette, inviting her to drink together, after which she raised her own shot. They still had a few moments left before their privacy was violated, and Astrid had one more thing she wanted to say only to Clara.
“In our match I realized one thing, GASTER could never win and become a champion,” she said with a soft smile, tilting the shot slightly forward, inviting the brunette to clink glasses. “But who knows, maybe one day Clara could…” after clinking glasses with the British woman, she drank a shot of whiskey, after which her best friends and Alice came to their table.
Everyone has skeletons in their closet that we don't want to show to anyone. That Astrid did not know that the scar on Alice's face was left by Clara was not surprising. But the surprising thing was that the brunette decided to tell her about it. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but apparently Clara really felt that she could trust the Norwegian woman.
“Hey,” Astrid said, noticing that Clara was lost in unpleasant thoughts after telling about her sister. “She went to a bloody match against Nerissa for you.” She reminded. “Not everyone is ready for this, even if it's about a relative.” The blonde smiled at Clara, not wanting her to take on too much. “So if I were you, I'd be thinking about how cool your sister is, not that she might not have forgiven you for the past.”
Clara didn't react too strongly to the delicious brisket, but Astrid's words definitely made an impression on her. It was easy to see that the British woman was embarrassed once again, but after a sip of mojito, she decided to clarify what exactly Astrid's help was. Before answering, the blonde motioned to the waitress that she needed another glass of beer and two shots of whiskey.
“Why do you think we're here?” It was a rhetorical question that Astrid was going to answer herself. “You'd probably prefer to talk to me at Victoria's office or during a private sparring session, wouldn't you?” It was obvious, because when Clara came here, everything was written on her face. “But look at you now, here we are sitting and talking, while the crowd around almost doesn't bother you anymore!”
The waitress put a glass of beer and two shots in front of Astrid, one of which the blonde pushed towards her interlocutor, after which she took a few sips of beer. Surely Clara has already begun to guess where the wind is blowing from and why Astrid chose this place. Even if not, the Norwegian woman wasn't going to keep it a secret, not after Clara plucked up the courage and openly asked about it.
“I've seen your promos, you're always confident in the ring,” she smiled. “I think this is another quality of a real fighter, I, like Charlotte and Nerissa, also feel most confident in the ring." Astrid paused briefly to take a bite of the juicy brisket. “But if you want to get to the top, you have to be confident in yourself both in the ring and outside it.” Astrid has become a little more serious. “We are all human beings and life somehow makes us doubt, but for a fighter any doubts are an unacceptable luxury.” She explained. “Doubts inevitably lead to defeat, so you should not doubt yourself, because one day you may find yourself in front of a woman who will need help even if she does not know about it herself.”
Yes, she knew for a fact that Clara would have preferred to meet in a more private setting. But if you're a fighter, you have to be able to get out of your comfort zone. Astrid learned this well after becoming a champion. She preferred to speak in the language of her fists, but it doesn't work with the audience and fans. Therefore, she had to learn to open her soul to them. Initially, she felt like a schoolgirl when she had a microphone in her hands. So she wanted Clara to step out of her comfort zone today. And, apparently, the British woman did not let her down.
“So,” Astrid said, wiping her hands on a napkin. “My question is very simple, but I want you to think about it well and give me an answer not today, but when you are ready." The blonde took a sip of beer and set the glass aside, focusing on Clara. “You've been through a lot, you've had both grandiose ups and equally grandiose downs.” She reminded. “You were honest with me today and I appreciate it, but when you give me an answer, I want you to be honest with yourself first." She glanced briefly at Nerissa and Charlotte behind Clara's back. “As I told you, it seems to me that their reasons for striving for the top are wrong, but I believe when they understand why they are actually striving so high, they will both become stronger than ever." Astrid's gaze returned to Clara. “And once you understand that too, you will also become much stronger than before, so my question, Clara, is...” Astrid tilted her head slightly forward. “Why do you want to become a champion?”
Perhaps this simple question was the only one that really mattered. Every girl and woman in the federation has their reasons to fight to get to the top one day. But today it wasn't about them. Today it was only about Clara. Fighting with her, Astrid felt the flames in her soul, but even that wasn't enough to get the golden belt. A true champion is more than just a good fighter. And a true champion is fighting for more than just money and fame.
As their conversation was coming to an end, Astrid raised her hand and waved to Charlotte, Nerissa and Alice, inviting them back to the table. Also, to defuse the situation, Astrid pushed a shot towards the brunette, inviting her to drink together, after which she raised her own shot. They still had a few moments left before their privacy was violated, and Astrid had one more thing she wanted to say only to Clara.
“In our match I realized one thing, GASTER could never win and become a champion,” she said with a soft smile, tilting the shot slightly forward, inviting the brunette to clink glasses. “But who knows, maybe one day Clara could…” after clinking glasses with the British woman, she drank a shot of whiskey, after which her best friends and Alice came to their table.