Line In The Sand

Astrid turned off the engine and removed the helmet from her head. Waving her long golden hair, she lifted her head up, feeling the sun's rays pleasantly tickle her face. Finally, her vacation began. The woman jumped off the motorcycle, threw the bag over her shoulder and was ready to move towards the ocean. Suddenly her phone started vibrating, Astrid glanced at the screen and smiled slightly. The blonde raised the phone to her ear.

"Are you following me?" she asked.
“No, just by time you should have arrived at the place,” Victoria said.
"That's right, I'm already on the beach."
“Then have a nice rest...” the manager was about to hang up, but...
“Hey hey, wait,” Astrid stopped her, “first, while I’m gone, Charlotte will do boxing trainings with you, I’ve arranged everything. Second, I..."
"What?"
"Look, Vic, we can handle it, okay?" Astrid was definitely not the best person to provide emotional support. “This is all in the past and it cannot be changed. Plus, it was only my first year. I know how much you work not only for me, but also for your other girls. So we can handle it. We're a team, aren't we?"
“Thank you, Astrid…” Victoria's voice didn't get better, “enjoy your vacation and don't do anything stupid.”

There were short beeps in the speaker. The blonde stared at the screen for a few seconds, and then sighed heavily. Putting her phone in her bag, she headed for the coastline. She only had a week off and therefore she shouldn't to waste time.

Attire:

Although, considering what had happened recently, Astrid was sure that she would devote most of her vacation to drinking, just not to think about the problems that she left in Tokyo. First, there was this whole story with Victoria, who was almost ready to leave her post of manager after her main star did not get into any of the ratings of the year. Astrid herself was more relaxed about this, because she was not very interested in the media, it was enough for her to know that she is one of the best. But the same could not be said about Victoria. She used to do her job perfectly, but this time, in her opinion, she let Astrid down.

The manager fell into a real depression when she found out that despite all the matches she organized for the blonde, the Golden Dragon did not even make the ranking of outstanding rising stars. Of course, the Englishwoman did not create illusions, she was well aware that even her best wrestlers were far from top stars. And although Charlotte tried to prove that such a system should be forgotten forever, so far, despite all her efforts, she and Astrid were considered the fighters of the second division, even though each of them managed to collide with a world star more than once and even take part in PPV.

And, of course, this whole story with the former world champion, which happened a little less than a week ago. The softest description that could be given to this episode is "fiasco". Astrid had never felt so embarrassed before. Although the fire in her chest did not go out, it hurt her pride very much. Especially considering that due to this incident her excellent win streak was interrupted. This annoyed her most of all, because she won all her matches honestly, even if the opponent was not honest.

Usually she was solving problems, not running away from them. But even Victoria admitted that Astrid is now better off getting some rest, especially since the Norwegian woman has always wanted to visit Kyoto since arriving Japan. She wanted to leave all this absurdity behind at least for a while. The fans loved her, many began to recognize her, confirmation of this was the fact that the former world champion herself touched her. And yet it wasn't enough. Only second rate.

Astrid took off her flip flops and her feet plunged into the sand, for a moment the woman's eyes rolled back with a sense of pleasure. She hasn't been to the beach since she left Norway. She got too involved in work, literally gnawing her way forward. And because of this, she forgot about the joys of life. Besides beer, of course, she never forgot about beer.

Moving along the beach, the blonde looked for a suitable place to spread the covers and finally lie down. Lie down and enjoy the sun. Lie down and forget about everything. Lie down and forget about work. Exactly. The most important thing is to forget about work, that's why she came here. But...

Astrid stopped, looking at the blonde, who was literally one and a half meters away from her. The Norwegian woman's left eyebrow rose slightly. It seems that when Thor left her, the god of deceit intervened. How else could one explain the fact that she almost literally met work on her vacation? Or maybe she was just wrong? No, there can be no mistake. It was simply impossible not to recognize this woman.

"Excuse me, are you Valley Doll?" pulling her sunglasses down, Astrid asked, not too loudly so as not to accidentally draw the attention of the entire beach.

Well, at least she was not mistaken in determining exactly who she met. Although it was very unpopular, especially against the background of such a common thing as Christianity, Astrid remained true to the ancient traditions of her Viking ancestors. She believed that the gods had plans for her, but at the same time she knew exactly what she was choosing, which path she should take. However, with regard to this particular moment, here the long-haired blonde could not find any other explanation, except that it was fate. To meet not only a colleague at work, but also an almost living legend on the beach while on vacation... the theory of probability was not very applicable here.

After letting the woman know that she was not mistaken, Valley asked who Astrid was. Of course, the blonde had no illusion that a woman like Valley could recognize her. Unlike the short-haired woman, she was not that famous. In addition, they worked in different divisions, as part of Tension Astrid played only one match. It is unlikely that outside the ring she could be recognized by someone other than those with whom she had already encountered, well, or other than some very devoted fan.

And although the Norwegian woman understood all this perfectly, she still received a barely perceptible injection somewhere in the region of the heart. As Victoria told her, the management believes that few people care about the quality of matches, only quantity is needed for fame. However, in the veteran's gaze there was at least a minimal interest in the woman who suddenly appeared, this could not but rejoice. So the blonde held out her hand, offering a handshake.

“Astrid Arvidsson,” she introduced herself, and although she would rather not say it out loud, but because Valley had no idea who she was, the Norwegian woman had to add a few words from above to clarify the situation and make everything transparent, "a colleague from Friction, known in the ring as the Golden Dragon. Pleased to meet you."

There was not too much pride in these words, because in an informal setting, Astrid tried to remain modest, especially with people she did not know well or if the situation did not require otherwise. However, this perfectly explained the presence of a huge tattoo, which occupied the entire back and left arm of the long-haired blonde. The mighty golden dragon was not only an ornament for her body, but also personified Astrid's aspirations.

The Norwegian woman's eyes darted quickly over the short-haired blonde. To say that Valley had a great athletic body would be a big understatement. A perfect combination of strength and beauty in one bottle. These were the kind of girls Astrid liked. And although she was not one of those who devour every strong and beautiful woman with a lustful look, Astrid was honest with herself. Valley seemed very attractive to her. Having no idea if the American woman would tolerate the company of an unknown colleague from another division, the long-haired blonde decided to be courteous. Even though she was the most independent person, nobody canceled the politeness.

"Do you mind if I'll place myself next to you?" she asked, pointing her head at an empty spot next to Valley's blanket.

If Astrid were a little naive girl, she probably would not have paid attention to the slightly wary look of another blonde. And although she did not react in any way to the fact that Valley even looked around, everything was clear to the Norwegian woman. It is no secret that the same person you meet in the ring and then outside the ring can be two completely different people. It had nothing to do with Astrid, she remained herself everywhere. But she perfectly understood Valley's fears, because she herself was one of those who did not immediately trust people.

In fact, it was a little different with the Norwegian woman. She preferred not to have prejudices until the moment of the match. She believed that a person can be truly recognized only during a fight. Many were prejudiced against other people based on rumors and so on. But even when she entered the ring against Jessica Wright, she did not have a pre-formed opinion about the one, who was rightfully considered the most brutal bitch in AFW. And this gave her the opportunity to see this woman completely different from how they talked about her.

Although she had to admit that today's meeting with Valley is the second time she meets a work colleague not during a match, but outside the ring. And the past experience was pretty sad. She just hoped the other blonde wouldn't turn out to be the narcissistic idiot Astrid had met last time.

But, be that as it may, Valley it seems decided that for the time being there was no danger for her here and soon their hands joined in a handshake. Even now, the Norwegian woman was able to feel no less confident grip than she had. But, more importantly, the veteran didn't mind the company of the younger colleague. This meant that Astrid could calmly take her own blanket out of the bag and spread it near Valley's place.

Tossing the bag onto the blanket, Astrid removed her sunglasses and sat down. Pushing her hands back a little, she threw her head back, tossing back her long golden hair. Finally, she could relax a little. For too long, she hadn't been able to simply soak up the sun. Valley's question returned her to the material world.

“Ms. Dragon… Friction lady… two new nicknames in two sentences, huh,” she thought.

Astrid turned her head to her interlocutor and smiled slightly. She did not like it when someone immediately meddled in her personal affairs, but Valley's tact, who decided to start with a simple question, was a very pleasant fact.

“Last time I was in Kyoto for work. One very... hmm... insolent character came to Tokyo to find a target, hoping to assert himself. But he was not lucky because he met me, huh. I came to Kyoto and kicked his ass,” Astrid took sunblock from her bag and began to spread it on her hands, “but I wanted to spend some time here under different circumstances, I'm from Norway and I love going to the beaches. So now I have a vacation. Actually I am not used to rest, but my manager thinks it is necessary after recent events."

She had a fairly pale skin and didn't want her to look like boiled lobster in an hour. It would be a very sad circumstance that would definitely darken her vacation. And when the long-haired blonde finished with every part of her body she could reach, she ran into a little problem. But she was not one of those who sees an awkward situation in every thing, so...

"May I ask you to put sunblock on my back, please?" she asked Valley, handing her a tube of cream.

Every person has a sixth sense in one way or another. And the moment Astrid sat down on her bedspread, even despite her closed eyes, she felt Valley's gaze on her. Well, she didn't mind at all. The Norwegian woman has never taken her appearance as a reason for excessive pride. But still, like any other woman, she loved when she caught some sight of her. Especially from another beautiful and strong woman. And if her instinct did not deceive her, feeling the gaze of another blonde, then the day was not lived in vain.

Astrid listened with a faint smile to her companion's thoughts. And in the end, when Valley made a guess about the Japanese guy's name, the Norwegian woman couldn't help but grin. It seems that Daisuke really earned a certain reputation if Valley was able to make the right guess the first time. She heard about this guy even before they first met. And although Astrid really prefers to form an opinion about a person during a match, the first words from Daisuke's mouth were enough to understand a simple thing. Everything they say about him is true.

“Your point, huh,” Astrid said, snapping her fingers and pointing at Valley, “you're absolutely right. Arriving in Tokyo, he bumped into me at the gym, mistaking me for Cecilia Northman. Trying to explain to me that my wrestling skills are very mediocre in his opinion, we agreed on a match. He hoped that oil and dirty tactics would help him. But as a result, I forced him to publicly recognize me as a better wrestler than him. And no dirty tricks from my side."

There wasn't much to say here. Despite a very sad first impression, the woman was counting on at least a good match. But when the Japanese guy started using dirty tricks, it completely destroyed her hopes. She usually shows respect for any opponent. Even when two inexperienced girls entered the ring against her at once and one of whom insulted her every available second, Astrid found the strength to retain at least a part of a good opinion of them. But she couldn't say the same about Daisuke. The golden-haired woman tilted her head slightly to side when Valley wished her a pleasant time in Kyoto this time.

“Thank you, huh,” Astrid said and the right corner of her lips lifted a little higher, “I can confidently tell you that this visit started a hundred times more pleasant than the last one.”

In most cases, Astrid was an extremely straightforward person. But now she thought that if she said something like “my new visit to Kyoto started great because I met you right away” it would be a little too much. So she decided that Valley would be able to figure out for herself what the Norwegian woman meant. At least it was clear without words. And words were sometimes superfluous.

But, most importantly, the other blonde did not refuse Astrid's request, agreeing to put sunblock on her back. However, it was not without a return request. Fair enough. Astrid smiled and handed the tube of cream into the hands of her new acquaintance, after which she rolled over and lay on her stomach.

“Wherever you want, Tension lady,” she answered on the Valley's request.

A bit ambiguous? Absolutely not caring about it, Astrid closed her eyes and after a few moments she felt Valley's hands on her shoulders. A barely noticeable shiver went through the long-haired blonde's body. She rarely visited spas and she can say that she is not used to this kind of touch. She's only used to a fist that touches her face. And now the feeling was very unusual. Unusual and damn pleasant. But when Valley started to turn a rubbing into a massage...

“Mmmmmmm…” came a quiet moan from Astrid.

Of course, this was not the moan that is usually emitted in more intimate settings, however, it was quite close to that. Because Valley's hands worked miracles and the Norwegian woman plunged into pleasure. Maybe there was nothing specific in the massage for most people, but for Astrid today several stars came together at once. She was not only not used to pleasant touches. The fact that she was now being massaged by a strong and beautiful woman made the moment truly magnificent.

"You have very strong hands..." said the blonde, when Valley's palms were in the middle of her back, the compliment was, perhaps, very peculiar, but it was still a compliment, "but also very soft... a little lower, please..."

“Perhaps,” Astrid said in response to the assumption that Daisuke’s actions were just an excuse to unleash the conflict, “but I agree otherwise, it's really not hard. But, unfortunately, this is the reality in which we live. Not everyone is ready to show proper respect for the opponent during the match or outside the ring.”

The main thing for Astrid has always been a good match. Well, not only. Like everyone else, she doesn't like to lose. Of course, the meaning of her life was to seek challenges that pushed her to the limits of her capabilities. And yet she preferred to pass all these challenges by the first try. Even though she tried to leave all her business in Tokyo, at least temporarily, she still couldn't get away from her last match. The defeat that ended her great winning streak hit her very hard. And although she was determined to get even with Alison, she had no idea when it would happen. Although, to be more precise, she had no idea if this would happen at all.

But now she had a reason to be distracted, Valley's hands provided her with such an opportunity. Feeling real pleasure, the long-haired blonde thought she needed to start visiting massage parlors or something like that. Usually her movements were limited to four places. House. Gym. Bar. Arena. She couldn't say that she had too little free time, but she could tell for sure that she was simply not used to receiving such pleasant touches. The Norwegian woman caught herself thinking that she didn’t want it to end. Exactly until the moment when she heard the next words of another blonde. At times like this, Astrid preferred to think that Thor had hit the anvil. Only instead of the anvil was her head.

“Ah, I see,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice from sounding disappointed.

The path is blocked. She understood perfectly well that she should not feel disappointed, because this was not surprising. And yet it started to turn into some very specific joke. Astrid has never been a stalker, but when she was invited to Japan, she saw several girls who interested her at first sight. Her manager, Victoria, was famous for the fact that she could find even very hard-to-find information. And so Astrid asked her to find out one simple detail. And then she heard what Victoria had learned. She has a girlfriend. She has a girlfriend. She has a girlfriend. By rumors, she is preparing for the wedding. It was at that moment that she thought about the fact that she should have come to AFW about eight years ago. Although, this was physically impossible, because eight years ago she was only fifteen years old. Realizing that she had no choice but to wait for a happy chance, she had to admit that she came here too, too late. Therefore, her answer to Valley's question was as short and as truthful as possible.

"Free agent."

It could not be said that she began to feel uncomfortable, but after the words of the American woman, the sensations were not the same as they were a few moments ago. It was necessary to clarify this from the very beginning, then she would not have said what she had already said. Anyway…

“I think that's enough, thanks,” Astrid said, finishing the massage earlier than she originally thought, “a deal is a deal, where should I work on you?”

The long-haired blonde took a tube of cream and looked at Valley with her lavender eyes.