LAW Stories. Let's go forward together

[skip-stop]

"Sometimes I think sparring with you deserves to be a real match, huh," Astrid said with a slight grin.
"If each of our sparring was a real match, then we wouldn't have enough time for other opponents," Charlotte replied with a smile.

Young women walked slowly down the street after a joint workout. They have long been used to spending time together. Astrid couldn't get used to the new place for a long time after moving to Tokyo, but Charlotte helped her with it. After their manager, Victoria, introduced them to each other, they quickly found a common language. Of course, they differed in many ways, but they had much more points of contact. And, it's easy to guess that the main thing that united them was pro-wrestling and the attitude to it.

Already on the first day of their acquaintance, they climbed into the ring. And although it was only sparring, by the end of the training they were both practically fully exhausted. Since then, they have become friends and friendly rivals who constantly push each other forward. They used different styles and it helped them develop. Admittedly, Astrid was one step ahead of Charlotte. But the Frenchwoman was always ready to question this statement. Now, for example, their score in sparring became equal after she first stunned Astrid with a powerful kick, and then pinned her.

"But you're right," the pink-haired woman continued the conversation, "if we weren't on the same team, we would probably constantly meet in the ring, trying to outdo each other."
"Hah! I don't deny," Astrid obviously liked this topic, "to fight you as hard as wading through a thicket of thorns, but I wouldn't back down."
"No doubt," Charlotte jokingly shook her head, "but who told you that if you didn't back down, then would I?"

Instead of answering, the Norwegian woman pushed her friend slightly, which made Charlotte giggle. She had a bad sense of humor, but she was quite sarcastic. And she knew that this seemingly harmless joke slightly hurt the blonde. But between real friends, this will never be a problem. They both strive forward. They have different reasons. But they both considered themselves worthy fighters. And although there really was a rivalry between them, each of them was glad to have such a friend.

Continuing to walk along the evening street, they discussed the latest developments. Astrid was the main narrator, because it so happened that it was in her life that the real vortex began. New acquaintances, lots of matches, even a date. She really had a lot to tell. Usually the blonde was not so verbose. It was difficult for her to relax with someone and behave freely. But Charlotte was one of those whom the Norwegian woman trusted. Therefore, she enthusiastically talked about her impressions after joining LAW.

"Although, to be honest, I didn't expect such a result, huh," Astrid finished another story about one of her matches.
"We should always be ready for this," Charlotte shrugged, "but if you win every match, then it's a reason to think that something is wrong."
"What are you talking about?" the blonde did not understand.
"I guessed that you wouldn't understand," Charlotte's lips curled into a grin, "Victoria probably told you that some fighters have really incredible win-loss ratios, right?"
"Yes, why?"
“What conclusion can be drawn?" Charlotte asked a rhetorical question. "The majority opinion will be something like this. If a fighter wins almost every match, then this fighter is the strongest. Right?"
"There should be a but."
"But," Charlotte nodded, "many forget that there is another option. If a fighter wins almost every match, it may not mean that the fighter is the strongest, but that the fighter chooses not so strong opponents. Think about it."
"Oh..." Astrid really thought, slightly tilting her head back, "an interesting thought."
"Exactly," Charlotte continued, "so there's nothing wrong with losing, it just proves that you keep going forward, meeting worthy rivals on your way. One win here. One loss there. And then comes the most important moment. Will you find the strength to surpass your opponent in the decisive match?"
"You know, many would call you a bore who makes things too difficult, huh!" Astrid chuckled. "But I agree."

They had finally arrived at their destination. Charlotte rarely went anywhere. She usually spent time either at her martial arts school or in the LAW ring. Astrid, in turn, loved to explore Tokyo. And today, even before the start of training, she invited her friend to relax a little. At first, Charlotte didn't want to support this idea, but then agreed that it wouldn't hurt for them to relax a little. Besides, they had one very important thing to discuss. That's how they ended up here.

Astrid and Charlotte went into a bar. Establishments of this type were Astrid's favorite places. The Norwegian woman managed to visit many bars in Tokyo. And in some of them she is now forbidden to come. Was it her fault? Perhaps. But she couldn't help herself. She had a talent for finding trouble. And in most cases, these troubles ended in a fight. However, today Charlotte asked her to be a little more restrained. Therefore, they hoped that the evening would pass without trouble.

Both women went to a table that was slightly away from the main crowd of other customers. Charlotte and Astrid took off their jackets and sat down opposite each other. The Frenchwoman felt a little uncomfortable because she had a very bad relationship with alcohol. But Astrid promised that everything would be fine and that she wouldn't let her friend get drunk. A few minutes later, a waitress came up to them.

"Good evening, have you chosen anything?"
"Good evening," greeted Astrid, "I'm in a good mood today, so I had one beer to start, and then one Cuba Libre, yes, and a plate of meat, please."
"Good evening," greeted Charlotte, who could not decide what she should drink, "a glass of white wine and blue cheese, please."
"Got it, please enjoy your evening."

As soon as the waitress left, Astrid raised her left eyebrow at Charlotte. The Frenchwoman guessed why her friend was looking at her like that. It wasn't a restaurant and people don't come here to drink wine. However, she couldn't help herself. The pink-haired woman got very drunk several times and did things she preferred not to remember.

"I'm not telling you what to drink," she said, slightly annoyed.
"Oh Odin, huh," Astrid chuckled, "if I came to a bar to drink wine, they would look at me like an idiot."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. It was one of those moments when the difference between them was visible. Usually the Frenchwoman was calm and reasonable. She never made hasty decisions, preferring to think several times before taking action. Astrid, on the other hand, was much more impulsive. If she decided something, she didn't have to think about it, she just started doing it right away. And although they had not known each other for too long, the Frenchwoman realized that there was no point in arguing about such things, anyway, these arguments would lead to nothing, they were both stubborn.

"Your order," the waitress suddenly said.

A moment later, their drinks and snacks appeared on Astrid and Charlotte's table. They decided to forget about other little things and enjoy themselves, so they both raised their glasses.

"For a new beginning!" Astrid said happily.
"Agree," Charlotte smiled.

The edges of their glasses touched, and then each of them took a few sips. It was a good toast. Anyway, they were both glad that they were here. Not in a bar, but in LAW. Each person has their own way. And it is everyone's duty to walk this way with dignity. Astrid considered herself a real warrior. And Charlotte considered herself a noble fighter. They had the same goal, but different motivations. However, all this led to only one thing. Once here, each of them realized that this choice was the right one.

"So," Astrid said after another sip of beer.
"So," Charlotte nodded, enjoying the cheese with blue mold, "Victoria said that the choice is ours."
"The choice is always ours, huh," the blonde grinned, "Victoria is just too delicate to say that she wants it too."
"No doubt," the Frenchwoman shrugged, "she always takes care of us, and even though it's her job, she'll never force us to do something we're not sure about."
"Ah, so we're getting closer to a discussion," Astrid returned to her glass of beer.

Charlotte smiled ironically. She knew Astrid didn't need to discuss it. She was always confident in her goals and desires. This Norwegian woman almost literally knocked out LAW's door on the very first day. Sometimes it seemed to the pink-haired woman that her friend was simply unstoppable. Astrid took match after match without any hesitation. Not just because she wanted to make a statement or something, but because she really was a warrior who found her place in life. Charlotte had never said it out loud before, but she admired this woman.

In turn, the Frenchwoman had some doubts about the latest news. Of course, all these doubts were caused only by her own mind. But not all people are ready to go forward without looking back. She had to go through a lot in her life. And now she lives by certain principles. The Frenchwoman believed that you can't just go ahead. And she believed that in order to move towards any goal, there must be a worthy reason. That was her main doubt.

"I'm not going to get it out of you," Astrid said honestly, "if you want to discuss it, then you'll have to start, otherwise I'll just drink beer and look at your sour face."

Charlotte pursed her lips slightly. Despite the fact that she considered Astrid her best friend, it was difficult for her to openly talk about personal things. She was never good at it. Charlotte has always been an outcast in the family. The only person she trusted was her sister. And she lost this man a long time ago. It left a mark. A trace that could not be erased even after such a large amount of time. The Frenchwoman took a glass of wine and drained it completely. She exhaled loudly and almost coughed.

"Okay," she said, trying to find the right words, "tell me, do you really have no doubts?"
"Doubts?" Astrid finished her glass of beer and then slapped her chest. "No! I have a goal. And I will go to this goal no matter what. I don't care what people think of me. I don't care if anyone doubts me. I am a warrior. And I will do everything necessary to achieve what I want. There is no room for doubt in my soul because my soul is filled with fire! And didn't you tell me at our first meeting that you, too, would always go forward? One of the reasons I respect you is that I immediately believed that you are capable of anything. Did I make a mistake?"
"Not at all!" exclaimed the Frenchwoman. "That's not the point at all. I will never give up my way. Martial arts is my life."
"Then what's the problem?" Astrid asked, calling the waitress over and asking for more wine for Charlotte.
"The problem is that I do not know if I am ready for such a responsibility," Charlotte finally said.
"What do you mean?"
"Success and failure are always part of the path," said the pink-haired woman, "but recently I had a dream... I was walking towards my goal for a long time, I literally devoted myself to this path, many believed in me, and I also believed in myself, and I was close to my goal, there was only one step left to take... but then I stumbled... and although it was only a dream, I woke up with pain in my heart. This failure seemed to be real. And that feeling was... frightening. And what if this dream becomes a reality? What if I really fail and can't handle it?"

The waitress put a new glass of wine on the table, while Astrid looked at Charlotte intently. Finally it became clear to her what was on her friend's mind. Despite the fact that she knew that the Frenchwoman always has internal doubts about this or that reason, she did not think that the martial artist had such serious thoughts about the latest news. Astrid understood her. She picked up her glass of Cuba Libre and took a short sip.

"Listen," she said calmly, "I can see how important this is to you. And I know you. Your goal is noble, even nobler than mine. You're not fighting for yourself. The federation is full of bastards for whom the word honor means nothing. And the fact that you want to show that a real fighter doesn't necessarily have to use dirty tactics speaks for itself."
"Not only..."
"I didn't finish," Astrid said, "and I agree with your words. I admit that I didn't think about it before. But when I heard it from you, I got into it too. I don't have the right to judge everyone, but I agree with that. While the champions are in the spotlight, many promising fighters cannot find a place in the sun. And the fact that you want to change that deserves respect. My respect at least. And so I don't see any reason to doubt, Charlotte. We both came here for a reason. So let's go forward together."

Astrid raised her glass. Charlotte exhaled and did the same with a smile. These were exactly the words she needed. She hasn't felt any real support since she broke up with her younger sister. But Astrid, who has amazing fortitude, was the person who was ready to support her. The words of a Norwegian woman eradicated doubts in the heart of the martial arts master.

"The die is cast!" she said.
"The die is cast!!!" Astrid screamed and the whole bar heard it.

After draining their glasses, the women laughed. Now it was officially a beautiful evening. Charlotte felt very relieved. And then she saw the delight on Astrid's face. The blonde took out her phone and told Charlotte to do the same.

"You created a Twitter account, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"I think we should publicly announce our decision!" it was obvious that Astrid really caught fire with this idea.
"Why not?" Charlotte smiled. "Let's go."

After typing a short post, both women simultaneously clicked on the send button. In such an uncomplicated way, they both announced that they intend to take part in the Openweight championship. No one can say what will happen tomorrow. But that doesn't mean you can't do something. Everyone has their own way. Everyone has their own goals. Everyone has their own desires. They were here to become the best. Astrid and Charlotte were ready to fight for their dreams. The path is just beginning. And this path will not be easy. But no one said it would be easy. Apex PPV is waiting for them. And they are ready for it. But for now, they wanted to enjoy this evening. Everyone deserves a little rest. Especially before a long road.