Line In The Sand

“Well, since I don’t have someone to cover my back, I’ll be careful, thanks for the warning,” the long-haired blonde replied, feeling a strong grip on her sides.

Apparently, if there was a difference between Friction and Tension, then this difference was very small. In Tokyo, too, there were enough people who were ready to stab you in the back for their own benefit, and sometimes for their own pleasure. So far, Astrid hasn’t had to deal with this in person, however, she’s heard enough stories on this topic. And this only once again proved that you cannot trust anyone, at least if you are not sure about a particular person. It's good that she was a dragon with the soul of a lone wolf. This greatly limited her social circle and therefore she was less likely to face someone who would break her neck as soon as she showed the back.

If the face of the Norwegian woman had not been pressed against the blanket, there would certainly have been a slightly confused expression. She didn’t quite understand why Valley linked the fact that Astrid didn’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend with the fact that they would line up to enter the ring with her. It was a little strange. But, even stranger, it was a light slap that she felt on her thigh. After the previous words, it looked really strange. Even though the long-haired blonde didn't know anything about the specifics of Valley's relationship with her girlfriend, such actions were not what Astrid expected.

Kneeling, Astrid arched her back, placing her palms on the back of her head and shoving her chest forward. There was nothing to deny, the other blonde really did a good job on her, she had not felt so good physically for a long time, if you did not take into account sex. She picked up a tube of cream and squeezed some into her palm. By then, Valley had already laid on her stomach and even untied her bikini to give the Norwegian woman full access to her back. She received instructions about the places to work on. And Valley strained her thighs for clarity. If the American woman hadn't set a clear boundary with her own hands a few minutes earlier, Astrid would have been able to appreciate this gesture in all its glory.

In another situation, a long-haired blonde without remorse would have landed her ass right on the ass of the new acquaintance to start working on her back. But now she bent her knees and sat down on the blanket to the left of the Valley. Slightly spreading the cream on her palms, she put her hands on the shoulders of the other blonde, starting to work on her muscles. It is no secret that any strong and beautiful woman was potentially the subject of Astrid's interest. Mari Fuuma, with whom she had a great time after debuting, Reiko Shishigou, with whom she got a date at a bar, were living proof of this. And she knew the forbidden fruit was sweet. But she was not one of those for whom subtle flirting is enough. It might have worked if she didn't know that her new acquaintance has a girlfriend, but in that case, when all this would have been revealed, she would have felt like an idiot. And despite Valley continued to be a strong and beautiful woman, she became completely inaccessible.

Perhaps the Norwegian woman did not have the same experience in professional rubbing of the cream, however, she did everything in her power to work on the muscles of the other blonde. Considering that from the first touch she felt the steel ropes in the muscles of the American woman, she was lucky that she had enough physical strength to apply good pressure during the massage. After working with the shoulders, she shifted slightly to the side to slightly relax Valley's biceps and triceps.

"Why did you move to Tension?" trying to keep the enthusiasm in her voice, Astrid asked, even after everything she didn't want this meeting to turn into a silent wrestler club after all.

Having finished working on the amrs of the American woman, Astrid moved back to her back. She didn't pay some attention to the biceps and triceps of another blonde just for nothing. In a profession like theirs, constant pain and heaviness in the muscles was the most common thing, especially in the muscles of the arms. Regular trainings helpes a bit about it, the Norwegian woman was well aware of this. But why feel pain and tension in your muscles if you can let them relax a little?

From Valley's reaction, she did everything right. The other blonde's reaction when Astrid started working on her back again flattered her greatly. Norway really was not the sunniest country on this small ball in the middle of space. But in those days when the sun was bright enough, the girl loved to visit the beaches, it is sometimes useful when you spent most of your life in a place called the land of ice and snow.

However, for the most part she used the simplest principle now, she did only what would be pleasing to her. It was a small bonus when the two women were interacting. It was for the same reason that Astrid preferred women over men. A woman always, absolutely always, knows much better what will be more pleasant for another woman. In parallel with this, the long-haired blonde was listening to Valley's story about why she went to Tension.

“I understand perfectly,” Astrid agreed when Valley said that she started felt a stagnant in Friction, right after this part another blonde asked her to linger in the middle of her back, “sure, whatever you want.”

Continuing to work hard on Valley's back and, of course, not forgetting to slightly move to her sides, Astrid listened to the rest of her story. This story was very similar to her own story, so she could perfectly understand why Valley, who had unconditional success in Friction, decided to change the scene. Well, that was very commendable. Astrid could say with confidence that not everyone finds the strength to bring changes to their own lives.

By the time the American woman finished her story, Astrid had just reached her lower back. Reaching for a tube of cream to squeeze out a little more, she was about to react to everything she had just heard, but Valley got ahead of her and asked her own question about how and why Astrid ended up in AFW.

“Well,” she began, squeezing out the cream and rubbing it across her palms, “I'm here for about the same reason you went to Tension. I was an MMA fighter. At a certain point, when I had a chance to gain recognition, I made a mistake and was suspended for a year from any competition. This year I devoted myself to self-discipline, first going to Thailand to learn a new martial art, and then I went to Greenland to live with the local Eskimos, it was one of the first real challenges for me."

Rubbing the cream on her palms, the blonde looked at her new friend. She finished completely with her back, slightly below was about twenty centimeters of the restricted area, and then there was her legs. Well, apparently it was time to earn what Valley called extra points. Astrid began massaging the American woman's upper thigh, slowly working her way down.

“When I came back, I was stronger than ever before,” she continued, “even though I had to start the path almost from the beginning, it did not stop me. I literally hacked my way to the European Championship. And when I got it, I was faced with a choice. Either sign a contract with the most famous MMA promotion, or go to the East. MMA is a great sport, but I've always wanted more.”

Astrid paused briefly before continuing. Now she needed to find the words to correctly express her point of view. By this time, she had already started working on Valley's caviar muscle.

“Well, now I can touch on the other side of the issue,” she said, “even among the Norwegians, very few people remember this, but not me. I remember very well that my Vikings ancestors never stopped in their aspirations. No matter how tough the battle lay ahead, they always walked forward without a shadow of fear in their eyes. And when I get to Valhalla, where my great ancestors will be waiting for me in the honey hall, I want them to raise mugs of ale, glorifying my name after every story I tell about the fights I went through. My father taught me one thing that I believe in with all my heart. The end goal is not always important, but the path to that goal is always important. That is why I try to live my life with dignity."

The blonde reached for the tube of cream again before touching the other leg.

“I am not afraid of anything, and all my life I have been looking for challenges for myself, because only overcoming another obstacle on my way do I feel alive, only going through another obstacle I feel confident that my Vikings ancestors will be proud of me,” Norwegian woman raised her head, looking at the cloudless sky, “as I said, MMA is a wonderful sport, and there I had a chance to meet many worthy opponents. But I knew that the strongest women from all over the world are fighting in AFW. Well, okay, men too. So here I am. And I am exactly where I should be."

Feeling that she was too lazy to get to her feet, Astrid began to crawl on all fours, moving around Valley's legs, she wanted to be on the other side of the American woman in order to start working on her second leg.

“Perhaps my words, as to many others, may sound loud to you, huh, for this reason I always say that I don’t throw words to the wind and I’m ready to confirm every word I say in the ring,” she chuckled slightly before starting work on Valley's second leg, "and it is for this reason that I try to make my fists speak much louder than my words." Astrid smiled and began working on the American woman's second leg. “Besides, I have a weakness in front of strong and beautiful women, so AFW had a significant bonus for me before I came here.”

Astrid smiled softly after Valley winked at her, telling her that today's company was about the long-haired blonde's weakness. It really was, no doubt that Valley was the kind of woman Astrid could see herself with. Although they didn't talk much, she was already able to draw some parallels between their beliefs and lifestyle.

She always tried to be a little more free around someone who was like her, but she didn't quite understand why her new acquaintance was behaving this way, given the boundary she drew almost at the very beginning of the conversation. Perhaps it was in the nature of the American woman, Astrid still knew her too little. She perceived it as subtle hints and for her it was unusual. If she has a girlfriend and she is happy with her, then for the long-haired blonde it remained a mystery why some of the phrases and actions of her new acquaintance hinted that she remained free.

“Yes, the present company fits that definition perfectly,” she said, not denying the obvious, after which the woman laughed slightly when she heard the words that it was like a fairy tale where a Viking rubs her with cream, “then you should enjoy moment, because not the fact that someday you will have a similar opportunity, huh."

When the other blonde turned onto her side and Astrid gained additional access to other parts of Valley's leg. And she did not hesitate to take advantage of this, in the end she had to repay her new acquaintance for the fact that she did a very good job on her back. As she began to work on Valley's muscles, Astrid nodded in the affirmative at the words about the legacy. It was really important to her. Of course, she was entering the ring not only because she felt obligated to her ancestors, but this reason was no less important to her than the endless search for challenges on the way to self-improvement.

Astrid's smile widened slightly when she heard the next question from the American woman. It cannot be said that she did not think at all that the conversation would sooner or later go this way. Of course, we can say that this was not surprising at all. When two wrestlers meet, the likelihood that they will talk about the planned matches is very high. By this time Astrid had already finished working on Valley's leg.

“Like I said, I'm on vacation here, so I have no scheduled matches for this week,” she replied honestly, then blinked several times, one small idea came to her, “do you mind?”

She asked, placing her hand on Valley's thigh and pressing lightly on it to make the American woman turn onto her back. She, of course, had time to see it as soon as she saw Valley, but now she had a new opportunity to look at the muscles of the American woman's abs. Damn. This steel on her stomach was as strong as Astrid's, and perhaps even stronger. There was still a little cream on the palms of the Norwegian woman and she touched the stomach of her new acquaintance to relax these muscles a little. The sensation of touch was simply unimaginable, Astrid always loved powerful abdominal muscles, this did not require explanation and proof, her enchanted look spoke about it loudly enough.

"Maybe you have any thoughts on this?" smiling again, she asked.

“Indeed, you are the first to receive such a privilege,” Astrid said with a small chuckle.

Now it began to seem to her that she had finally understood why this conversation, like the meeting in general, was going on in this vein. She had already met such women in her life, although she did not think that Valley would be one of them. Empty flirting for own self-gratification. The long-haired blonde couldn't say that it was bad, after all, everyone has the right to feel good. Although the American woman shouldn't have put so much effort into it. Astrid was sure that anyone would understand that she liked Valley, both externally and in temper.

Yet the other blonde continued to show off every part of her body, starting with Astrid's request. And even here she was not too lazy to push her breasts forward, clearly wanting the Norwegian woman to pay attention to these two beautiful twins. Well, she definitely succeeded. Usually the young woman could control her gaze and keep herself from wanting to eat another girl with her gaze. But this time, her lavender eyes lingered for a moment on Valley's beautiful breasts, which, due to the untied bikini top, are a very impressive viewing angle. If this meeting had happened under other circumstances... but now Astrid was forced to make an effort to stop admiring Valley's body.

Coming to the abdominal muscles of another blonde, the Norwegian woman began to gently press and massage this steel. Another thought entered her head. She tried never to exaggerate, perceiving things as they are. And Astrid was confident in her own physical strength, she knew that her punches were crushing, because she trained both arms equally in order to achieve a very difficult task. Only a few fighters possessed knockout blows from both hands. And Astrid considered herself to be just the such fighter. And the moment Valley arched her back, straining her abdominal muscles, Astrid thought that even her powerful blow would not be enough to pierce this steel.

The story of the American woman about the AFW tradition brought her out of her reflections. Astrid was not an actress and she really had to make an effort not to smile or even laugh at this moment. Instead, she slightly furrowed her brows and nodded her head affirmatively after almost every word from her new acquaintance, supporting Valley's feigned seriousness. If Daisuke offered to arrange a match in the same way, the long-haired blonde would be, if not happy, then at least glad. This was not only original, but also emphasized the interest of her new acquaintance. Astrid took her hands away from the other blonde's belly.

“I see,” Astrid said in a wistful voice, “of course there is no way we can ignore tradition. Traditions are important. I don't have a permanent contract with Tension, but my manager is very capable, she will handle this nuance. So that…"

Astrid's serious face was transformed as she extended her hand for a handshake as a kind of contract. Now there was a light defiant smile on her face, and a light played in her deep lavender eyes. She was not a gambling person, but when it came to a match, this feeling of ardor always overwhelmed her. Perhaps Valley pursued some of her own motives, for her it remained hidden. But for the Norwegian woman, there was nothing more important than entering the ring against a great rival. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but perhaps today fate gave her the opportunity to fix things after being defeated by former champion Alison.

When Valley reached out and joined their palms in a handshake, this time Astrid felt the strength of the other blonde to squeeze her palm in all its glory. Without remorse, the Norwegian woman did the same, squeezing the palm of her new acquaintance with equal force. She really got used to doing things the right way and now their little deal has been officially confirmed. For her, mutual respect was a very significant part of any match.

“If we have a fun enough time…” the woman echoed Valley’s words in her mind.

However, she paid much more attention to the following words of her new acquaintance. It even made her slightly raise her left eyebrow. Perhaps the American woman didn’t put exact that meaning in these words, but for some reason to Astrid it sounded like Valley had already won the upcoming match. Her friend, Charlotte, said that the veteran with whom she entered into a rivalry, still has not pacified the pride. For Astrid, who treated all her rivals the same, it was a little odd.

However, perhaps it was just words. The long-haired blonde got down on all fours again and crawled to her covers. She lay back and closed her eyes. She remembered her debut match, her first opponent could not be called a veteran or someone from the top of the rankings, however, this match was great. Let everything was limited by the standard rules, but this match was much more like something hardcore. Astrid's face broke into a blissful smile as she remembered the bet she had made with Mari during the match. It was even a bit a pity that such a scenario could not be repeated this time.

“Don't worry,” she finally replied, “you'll get everything I have and maybe a little more if need be. Holding back during a match means showing disrespect to an opponent. And I always respect my opponent. If my opponent is ready to do the same, of course. So don't hope for an easy match.”

The Norwegian woman raised herself slightly on her elbows and winked at her future rival. In fact, one could start an endless discussion about comparing veterans and newcomers. Viewers have always preferred the veterans, preferring to think that if a newcomer defeated a veteran, then it happened solely by chance. Charlotte decided to prove that this is not so, and so far she is making progress in this, although the Gods are fickle and you can never know what will happen next. During their last conversation, the Frenchwoman shared that she had a bad feeling about future events. Astrid tried not to think about what would happen next. And so she tried to live in the moment, the current match.

Life is a very complicated thing and she didn't want to complicate things even more. Not all events depend on you, so the Norwegian woman was ready to just go ahead. The rest was not that important. Let the critics believe that newcomers cannot get off the bottom of the rankings. Let no one notice the effort she puts into her matches. Let she never get a chance to prove herself. Even if the heavens fall and the gates of Valhalla are closed forever. As long as she goes forward, none of this matters.