Igniting The Cerulean Flame

[Violet]

Ichika always hated this part! It left her exhausted quickly! Fatigued! And she can’t move her arms the next day. Her weekly workout regimen was heavily skewed to leg days for a reason! One is that her maxim relied on speed and nimbleness other than strength. Second was she always sucked at it. Her attributes were lopsided for this reason and it was a weakness she realized earlier on. Something she sought to relieve now that Astrid's here to help.

Ichika chuckled nervously at Astrid's quip that it's turn her now and sweat dripped down her temple. 'I'm going to die here' Ichika thought to herself as she prepared herself for the weights.

"It must be hard to get such a toned body like yours!" Ichika exclaimed in amusement as the bluenette watched the heavyweight champion flex right in front of her. "I always feel like I rely too much on my speed and I need to bulk up too!" Ichika added as she tried to emulate her tutor by flexing biceps of her own! Revealing what seemed to be a small bump of muscle. “I wish I have your muscles too!” Ichika put down hers, a little embarrassed. “I’d be undefeatable!! Just like you”

Soon after Ichika lay on the bench. Her supple chest became ever more noticeable as it sat atop her otherwise flat physique.

"Mhm!" Ichika then nodded. "I'll get there, I promise! I'll be better than ever!" Ichika got a surge of determination in Astrid's speech. Her eyes, now fired in vigor as it set forward to the bar above her as the champ affixed the weights she had to carry.

Ichika then took a deep breath, waiting for Astrid in awe as she continued to pile up more and more weight in her bar! "I'm ready!" Ichika then exclaimed as she brought the weights upon her arms for the first time and brought it in front of her chest!

"Hu-uuufff!!!" Ichika grunted as she lifted the weight as high as she could! Her arms trembled under the weight as she kept it aloft! Her face sweated immensely under pressure! Her chest heaved rapidly, leaving out of her mouth in controlled huffs of air! Ichika was visibly struggling but was determined to see it through!

[CaptainL]

Astrid could tell that raw strength wasn't Ichika's strong point, particularly compared to the champion herself. As someone who took her fitness routine very seriously, and had taught others before, Astrid knew the difference between the sorts of exercise that built strength and those that provided conditioning and endurance. Ichika's slimmer build was more geared toward the latter, and it was no surprise that it had given her the edge in their previous contest. But both qualities played an important role when it came to staying in shape, and it was vital that Ichika be able to perfect both if she was to achieve success.

She was flattered to hear Ichika's praise of her body, enough for her to throw in an extra flex just to play it up further. But she nodded to the blue-haired girl when she pointed out her own weaknesses, even if she stifled a bit of a snicker at her less than impressive flex. "Well, don't sell yourself short. It's just as important to be able to acknowledge where you have areas you can improve in, so you know what you can focus your attention toward! Everyone's needs are a bit different, and no two workouts are the same. So for you, we can focus on building up your strength!" With that, she lay down on the bench, getting ready to show Ichika how it was done.

As Astrid brought the weights back down onto her chest, after a brief moment to catch her breath and wipe some sweat off her brow, she turned to look over at Ichika, who was about to do the same. The differences between the two women were evident; anyone could tell that Ichika had more work ahead of her than Astrid when it came to the bench press. And yet, Ichika was undeterred regardless, always out to give it her best efforts! She wouldn't let anything stop her, and Astrid nodded to her with a knowing smile.

"That's the spirit!" she said. "Even if you know it's hard, you're going to do it all the same. I like that about you! It's the right attitude you need to succeed!" However, the Norsewoman had her reservations when she saw Ichika load even more weight on the ends of her bar. She might have admired Ichika's determination, but she didn't want her to take things too far and hurt herself!

"Hey, now," she said, "be careful, if-!" But Astrid was cut off in mid-speech, when Ichika at last managed to lift the bar off her chest! Astrid let out a gasp, which soon gave way to a grin. She didn't know if Ichika would have it in her, but she came through!

"Well done!" she cheered. "Now...can you do it again?"

[Violet]

The weights felt lighter than the way they were when hoisted. Ichika had gotten to the easy part. When the bones in her arms that supported aligned with the gravity and perpendicular to her body. She can finally rest! Breathe! She shot a bright smile at Astrid as she held the barbell aloft. "I did it! Astrid, look I did it!" Her voice sounded like an overjoyed child! Her expression glowed with excitement!

Vigorous training is an essential part for her to achieve what she strived for! Ichika knew that. She took it to heart ever since she was on her own after she left home. It was as if smoothing the edges of a rough diamond. All to get the required luster to shine all throughout the world! And this was another step to that goal!

"I..mph.. th..think I-i can!" Ichika stammered as she struggled to slowly lower the weights right above her heaving chest. She took a few deep breaths, not wanting to mess up as Astrid watched.

"Hngguhhh...!" Ichika grunted harder than before. Her face puffed and burned red in pressure! Her arms trembled like vines strained... but the barbell stopped moving! "I-i can't!" Sweat consumed her visage as she panicked! Her posture was far from ideal! Her hand must have slipped when she brought it down. Shifting her grip that compromised the integrity of the whole routine! "H-help!" Her arms keeled, threatening the hefty barbell to crush her right on her neck! "As-astriid... haaa!" Astrid's speculation was accurate! Ichika was inexperienced with this, and she already bit more than she could chew! And it put her under immense danger!

[CaptainL]

Soon enough, Ichika had gotten the hang of what she was doing. Astrid paused her own weight-lifting, looking back at the blue-haired girl to raise an approving thumbs-up to her. The sight of such enthusiasm on her face warmed Astrid's heart. Ichika, she knew, was committing herself to improving and strengthening herself, and she was just as happy to show off the progress she'd made. That was the spirit she needed to become a strong wrestler, and it seemed like she was well on her way!

"I saw!" The Norwegian beamed to her. "You've got it, just keep going-!" She encouraged Ichika to keep at it - but perhaps the girl went a bit too far. Astrid's eyes went wide as she watched her arms lock up in place, the barbell teetering - and poised to come down onto Ichika's throat! The more she struggled, the lower it sank. If Astrid didn't do something, the barbell risked crushing Ichika's trachea!

Acting fast, Astrid's hand shot out, grabbing a hold of the weights. There, she pushed them back, guiding them safely down against Ichika's waist. It might have been a herculean task for Ichika to bear the load of the barbells, but for an experienced wrestler like Astrid, who wore her status as a powerhouse with pride, it was nothing! Once Ichika was freed, Astrid got up from her bench. She leaned over the blue-haired girl, looking at her with concern.

"Are you all right-!? I'm impressed with your determination, but...you should know what your limits are, too! There's no shame in knowing when you have to stop - and if you don't, you could get hurt!"

[Violet]

Panic beset Ichika's face as the dumbbell suddenly felt ten times heavier. Iron barbells fought against being hoisted up as gravity played tug-of-war with the bluenette to pull it back to Earth! The only thing that stood between was her lithe frame! No way enough to take the crushing weight that would soon fall!

"Nghh-guuuhhhhh!" Efforts channeled to keep the dumbell aloft! Her cheeks puffed and red with exertion. Teeth gritted that they could scrape each other. Steam-powered huffs bellowed between the gaps like the last legs from an engine. Sweat trickled to the crevices of the veins that popped in her temple.

But the pressure soon laxed on her brittle arms as Astrid bore the weight! Relief washed over with a sigh, but the panic was replaced by embarrassment just as fast! She failed! Right in front of her new mentor. Failures she couldn't take anymore. And so looked to the side as they addressed her. Eyes shut closed and her chest heaving rapidly!

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. I-i just don't think I could measure up!" She let out! Not just to Astrid but herself as well. The truth that she tried to keep buried all this time. "I keep pushing my limit to get better. Yet, I'm still nowhere near where my mom was at my age!" She'd like to cover her face with her hands. Only if they didn't hurt while trying to do so.

[CaptainL]

Moving the dumbbell aside so it wouldn't bear down on Ichika, Astrid looked back to see the blue-haired girl, red-faced and shying away from her. Realizing how intimidating the differences in their heights could be in a moment like this, Astrid got down on her knees, bringing her eye-to-eye with Ichika. There, she faced her with a calm look on her face and her hands patiently folded in her lap, giving the rookie time to voice her grievances. But then, Astrid heard it - and she could now be sure that Ichika's insecurities went far deeper than she could ever have imagined. Who could blame her? She had her mother's legacy looming over her, and when her mother was none other than Asai Rei, how could Ichika ever hope to measure up?

"Ah..." The Norsewoman let out a breath, the tension in her body slackening. She inched a little closer, her face softening into a smile as she reached to take Ichika's hands. If she let her, Astrid would guide her hands down, moving to look her in the eye.

"Deep breath," she said calmly. "It's okay. I'm not mad. By all means, take as much time as you need to. No one gets better overnight, and everyone improves at their own pace. I'm sure your mother struggled at first, too..."

Then, though, Astrid smiled a little wider. "What's important is that you still try, and you still give it your best shot. Even if you know it'll be hard, or that it'll hurt. You want to get better, and you're taking the steps to do that. I'm sure your mother's very proud of you for that."

[Violet]

The muscle ached and spasmed as if the dumbbell had given it a life of its own! Her breathing was hoarse, her throat felt stuck with a dime, heaving the adrenaline from the ordeal. Tiny speckles of heat peppered her back, taxed by her bad posture. Blood pooled in her head from the pressure of the struggle keeping up the dumbbell. But none bothered her more than Astrid seeing her like this. Weak.

"Ahhhh-hughhhh!" Her shoulder laxed and rose from each heave! Her jaws clenched as she let air fill her debilitated lungs! And her head then veered to meet Astrid's smile not unlike a bad student to her too kind and forgiving mentor!

Each word the champ said hit true! The pressure for the bluenette was high ever since she set foot in the league! Headlines went on to taut her as a failure to her mother, that she couldn't keep up! Comparisons between her and Asai spread like wildfire once she gained some traction. After all, a girl who just tries her best and enjoy her career thus far isn't exactly a story that would sell well! And so expectations that she couldn't meet just bore down on her further. But now, Astrid's words shed a light on her and shrugged all those away!

"Thank you, Astrid!" Her emotions bubbled that she shot forward to hug the heavyweight as tight as she could! No one had put it like that to her before! After a few seconds, she'd let go with newfound motivation. She clenched her fist and put her arms on her lap, staring at her straining arms not as a failure but another step to get better!

"I'll do what it takes. I'll keep grinding everyday! And I would do weights more from now on! Teach me more, Astrid!"

[CaptainL]

Astrid had to wince at the sight of Ichika straining to hold up the heavy weights. Previously, when they had competed against one another on the track, Ichika had the easy edge over Astrid, with her quick and nimble nature working in her favor compared to Astrid's bulkier build being trained more for lifting heavy weights than running long distances. When it came to the weights, however, the opposite held true - Ichika struggled to bear the loads that Astrid would hardly have batted an eye at. But still, the blue-haired girl was determined to prove she could live up to her mother's legacy - and Astrid's own as well. The Norsewoman might have admired her tenacity, but she was worried if it would come at the cost of her own well-being.

"Are you all right..?" Astrid asked her, tilting her head toward the girl with a concerned frown. She could tell that Ichika was disappointed that she couldn't live up to what she hoped she could accomplish. But in truth, Astrid didn't expect any more or any less from her. Ichika was trying her best; she was making a concentrated effort, and she knew she wanted to get better. To the Norwegian, that was more important than whether or not she beat her record. That was the mindset that made true champions.

Soon enough, Ichika got up, throwing her arms around Astrid. She laughed, returning the hug, though she was careful not to squeeze too hard, knowing the force she could bring behind her grip. She let Ichika go and straightened herself to her feet, and a smile crossed her face as she looked down on her with a nod.

"Any time!" Astrid said. "I'm always happy to help, and I'm confident you'll do great." Then, looking back up, Astrid turned her head in the direction of the practice ring set up in the gym. After going through running and weights, all that was left was to see Ichika bring it all together - and Astrid was looking forward to seeing what she could do. After all, strength was only one part of being a successful wrestler. The rest came from knowing how to use it in the real world. It was only when she saw how Ichika handled herself in a match that Astrid could be sure of where she stood.

"All right. You've done great so far, but what do you say we do a little sparring? You can show me what you've learned thus far in LAW, yeah?"

[Violet]

Ichika had lost her composure failing to deliver in her practice with Astrid. Feeling her arms buckle under such weight shattered the perfect idea of the training she'd have with her that she had been building up inside her head for the past few days. But then again, Astrid was also much more than she imagined. So she hugged Astrid and sighed knowing that she wasn't disappointed by her.

The bluenette swung her legs out and sit up on the side of the bench as Astrid pointed her to the ring. She can still feel her arms strain and biceps pulse from the weight as she closed her hands to a fist. If there's any chance she could get back from the accident, it's proving to Astrid she can fight! Ichika hopped into her feet just as energized as before. "I have learned a lot since I came here, Astrid. Are you sure you can take it? Hehe¬"

[CaptainL]

"Mm-!" Astrid smiled wider as Ichika threw her arms around her. She gave her a pat on her shoulder before taking a step back, and there she looked Ichika up and down, getting a feel for how she was faring. She had definitely strained herself in trying to lift as heavy a weight as she had, and Astrid could tell she was still feeling the effects of it from how she wavered back and forth in her seat, and how her arms dangled low beneath her as though they were still being weighed down with heavy loads. Although it had been Astrid who had offered to take her to a quick sparring match, she began to wonder the wisdom of such a decision - if Ichika was too weary, her fatigue might impair her performance further, and she didn't want to cause her to hurt herself. But Astrid's concerns were soon answered as the blue-haired girl sprung back to her feet, displaying a burst of vigor!

The blonde's smile went wider, and she nodded her head to Ichika. If she could bounce back so quickly from such a strain, she was sure she would do fine; her thoughs flashed back to how her endurance had worked to her favor in their trip around the track. "All right!" she said, balling a fist and clapping it against her open palm. The competitive spirit she saw in Ichika told her that she was ready to give her a good fight, and she would be happy to take it from her! "We've seen how you fare in strength and speed, but if we're here to assess how well you'll handle an opponent, the only way to find out is seeing it for ourselves!"

With that, Astrid turned and walked across the gym, proceeding to the practice ring. She climbed over the ropes, bending down to take a stance as the soles of her sneakers settled into the canvas. She would then wait for Ichika to enter, where she would begin to circle around her, watching her carefully to assess what kind of move she would make first.