Post by Astrid Hall on Jun 13, 2017 22:57:40 GMT
"There's very little in this world better than standing against honorable foes beside a trusted friend."
As she speaks, Astrid is in armor, sword in hand as she sharpens the blade with a whetstone. She is sitting on a rock in the forest, smiling as she looks into the camera.
"After Night of the Immortals, I promised my Shield Wall that I would come out swinging harder than ever, a newfound determination and drive in my heart to overcome the obstacles that stood in my way. At Sacrifice a week ago, thanks to the encouragement and love of so many of you, I was able to start to deliver on that promise. A thrilling battle! One that I will remember for years to come as a turning point, a moment that we all stood together proudly and overcame incredible odds, the moment where I gritted my teeth, gazed into the eyes of the Diamonds Division and said: 'My turn.'
Last night I let the whole world know that I'm just getting started. I have a lot of work to do.
See, I've been seeing the Diamonds Division get pummeled by bullies and monsters, creatures whose thirst for destruction overrides the honor that warriors should share as a common bond. When I saw Maxine Valentine start to savage Crystal Miller after their match, I knew that I couldn't simply stand by and continue to allow such a mockery continue. I had to take a stand - and I did exactly that. I'm done being passive and simply accepting such senseless brutality as 'part of the norm', simply rolling over and allowing women like Crystal to endure viciousness they don't deserve. It's time to take a stand against this darkness festering in our division, so that the Diamonds can come together with respect as warriors should. Because when we come together, united in our cause to make the IWF a better and stronger company, magic happens."
“Another round!”
Astrid was all smiles and laughter as she, Shea O’Hara and Pandora Freeman enjoyed another round of drinks in their post-Open Fight Night celebration. It seemed natural to be enjoying time with these two – even though she was relatively new and they were the two champions of the Diamonds division. The titles didn’t matter tonight, though – Shea and Pandora were the women for whom she had felt the most respect since coming to the main roster just a few short months ago. The three of them were laughing and smiling together as though they’d been friends for years. This was one of her favorite things about being in the IWF, despite what most would assume about her. She didn’t JUST come here for the fights and the thrill of battle, but for the bonds between warriors that such experiences forged. Camaraderie. Family. It was the life she had always dreamed of, and it wouldn’t be the same without trusted friends to share it with.
“Jeez, Shea, you were not kidding about how this girl drinks!” Pandora exclaimed as yet another round came to their table – a massive glass of Mead (Astrid always made sure that they went drinking somewhere that offered mead, and Shea had scouted a hometown place for them with this in mind), a few shots of Powers Whiskey for Shea, and yet another colorful mystery drink for Pandora after her order of “Surprise me with something different every time!”. On the table between them was a whole assortment of pub food, from appetizers to entrees, in various stages of consumption – no matter how much or little the other two women ate, Astrid knew that she’d be able to polish off whatever was left over.
“I like to think of it as preparation for Valhalla,” Astrid replied with a chuckle. “Once I die, I’ll have infinite quantities of everything here and more – its wise to prepare for such an existence, yes?”
Shea beamed, clearly trying to keep the same energy level as the other two, but Astrid could clearly see the dark circles of exhaustion under her eyes. Astrid knew that Shea hadn’t been sleeping well for the past week, and wouldn’t have held it against the Shieldmaiden if she’d wanted to rest after OFN… but her friend had soldiered on, drawing energy from friends and having much worth celebrating.
“Well Pan, we’ll make sure to invite you along next time, too. This is fun! Besides, I couldn’t not show you two around home.”
Pandora giggled merrily, enjoying most of her drink with gusto as the band struck up a new song. She made an odd face as she examined the glass before shrugging. “Something fruity. Strong, though. OOH! I like this song. BRB girls, champion’s gotta move!”
With that, Pandora was on her feet in a flash, moving out closer to the band before joining the other patrons in a furiously energetic drunken dance. Astrid kept smiling as she watched her go. Pandora was a beautiful girl, a warrior’s spirit and bundle of energy… she had more than earned the right to call herself a Skald in Astrid’s eyes, though the Valkyrie had to admit to herself that there was a small amount of bias that was only seeming to grow…
She shook her head to clear her thoughts before turning back to Shea, her face turning a bit more serious with Pandora gone. “Have they been that bad, Shea?”
The Shieldmaiden sighed. “Comes and goes. I don’t know how she’s been doing it, but every night… and with the match next week, and that shite she put on my car… I’m gonna have to get something to help me sleep if this keeps up.” She slammed down a shot before glancing back at Astrid. “And you’ll have to get ready, too. Now that you’re booked against her again… alongside me… I’d not be shocked if she started targeting you, too.”
Astrid brushed it off. “What nightmares could roust me? Everyone knows I’m fearless. There is nothing that she could send me nightmares of that would make me afraid – only sharpen my steel.”
Shea chuckled and shook her head again at Astrid’s display of bravado. “Besides, Shea,” she continued, a little more seriously. “You beat her tonight. You got through all of what she threw at you, and that was when you were alone. I’m with you, sister. You’ve beaten her again and again, no matter how the creature tries to spin it. She’s beneath you, Shield Sister. We’ll overcome her, even with her new and upgraded partner.”
Shea nodded. “Damn right. She doesn’t get to do what she’s done to me and get away with just a countout loss. She made this personal. And speaking of…” She slammed down another shot. “Alicia Lukas. You going to be able to keep your head in the game, here? I know she brings out the rage in you.”
Astrid shrugged again. “She does, but anger only brings focus. You don’t have to worry about me, Shea. I said it and I meant it – I have your back, thick and thin, and it’ll be Ragnarok itself before I let you down.”
Pandora seemed to fly back to the table, alive with smiles and laughter. “You twoooo,” she slurred merrily, “are NOT smiling enough for a celebrationyfun night. YOU! ASTRID! BIG GIRL! DANCE FLOOR WITH ME! I WANT TO SEE IT HAPPEN! Also it'll be funny and make Shea laugh.”
Astrid couldn’t help but laugh as she rose to the occasion, all too happy to take the firecracker’s offer. “I’ll embarrass the both of you,” she insisted, “but how could I say no? But before that… and before Shea finishes her last shot and we have to order another round… a toast! To friendship among warriors, and standing together against the dark!”
Shea grinned. “I’ll drink to that.”
Pandora laughed. “A shining rainbow lighthouse in the abyss!”
The three of them clinked glasses before Pandora dragged Astrid into the dance floor, and together laughed, danced and drank the night away.
"But some people, for whatever reason, want to tear that unified community that makes the IWF the best Professional Wrestling Company in the world apart. And so this week, my Shield Sister and I will enter the ring once again, and fight against two of those problems - the Svartálfar Rowan MacDonnough, and Alicia Lukas."
She shakes her head, sighing in irritation. "Alicia Lukas. You and I keep dancing around one another, it seems. Clashing here and there, sparring with words and fists alike. It's no secret that I have a bone to pick with you, Lukas. Many might hesitate to put you in the same category as the likes of the Svartálfar or Maxine, because unlike them there's nothing monstrous about you. You're a woman, a talented woman who fights like a warrior, never stooping to the same tactics that others resort to. And yet, for all of that, when I see you I see one of the most insidious forces within the Diamonds Division today. You are such an arrogant creature, expecting the whole damn world to bow and scrape around your whim... all the while pissing on everyone and calling it rain.
You showed your hand on that before the five-way last week. Right after Night of the Immortals, when everyone in the IWF should have been celebrating the accomplishments of our organization, taking pride in the company that we all share, and the community that we build within it... you were busy tearing it down with word after word. In an effort to insult me, you went so far as to insult the entire developmental division, once again repeating the tired line that it doesn't matter, that nobody cares about it... how many members of the IWF today got their start in Developmental? Warren Kane and our Shieldmaiden Shea O'Hara, to name a few besides me. Hell, if it didn't matter to anyone, then why did Hall of Famer Spike Kane work as head trainer for a spell? Just because you didn't have to go through that gauntlet doesn't mean that it doesn't matter, Alicia, and every time you say you don't care about it the rest of the wold simply hears that you don't care about the future of the IWF - only yourself. But what should I expect about someone who sneaks out of the house to fool around with other companies when the sun goes down? Or have you convinced yourself that you're somehow too good to adhere to a contract?"
She shrugs. "Maybe I'm being to harsh on you. I'll admit that you get under my skin, and not because of any insult you've leveled at me - I'm a big girl, and I can take a tongue lashing with the best of them. But you went low, Lukas. You insulted my friends. My family. Mess with me all you want, but go after them? Cross that line, and it becomes my life's mission to make you pay for every errant word."
She growls with anger. "And speaking of girls who screw with my family...
Rowan MacDounnough. You twisted, sadistic, psychotic little Svartálfar. I've had my eye on you since I first saw you across the ring from me. I've known you were trouble from the start, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I was called upon to take you down again.
You made a mistake, Rowan. A deadly mistake that you will come to dearly regret. I saw the way you tortured and tormented Charity Crowne from the Diamond in the Rough tournament all the way to Night of the Immortals. I saw how you stalked her, turned into her worst nightmare, and tried to take away EVERYTHING that she loves and holds dear. I didn’t try to stop you. I should have. Even if Charity Crowne is the antithesis of everything I believe in, she did not deserve to have that inflicted upon her.
So if you think I am going to stand by and let you do that same thing to my best friend? If you’re THAT foolish, to think that I will simply do nothing while you hurt and torture those closest to me? You have another thing coming. You’re just a monster, Rowan – cruel, inhumane, untrustworthy and foul, fighting through ambush and intimidation. I look at you and see only a coward, a creature afraid to fight someone at their best. A creature who fights through nightmares like a bully than through strength and honor like a true warrior. As much disdain as I feel towards your partner, you are far, far worse… and I am going to stop at nothing to prevent you and your ilk from inflicting suffering on my friends, or anyone else in this division. If you want to play this game with them, you’re going to have to go through me to do it. Come on! I dare you to try it. I’ll laugh through everything you have, Svartálfar! If you need to get people to give in to their fear in order to beat them, then I am YOUR worst gods-damned nightmare!”
She drives her sword into the earth, gazing in challenge directly into the camera. “And so, we’ll beat you. We’ll beat both of you. We’ll win because no matter how vicious, no matter how supposedly dominant, no matter how much you try to rely on smoke and mirrors, we’re strong enough together to overcome it. A monster and a girl who cares only for herself do not make a team – a team takes trust, a team takes camaraderie, and you two have none of either for one another. Shea and I? Do. We do in spades. Shea is my best friend on this green earth, and when we stand together there isn’t a force in the world who could take us down.”
She smiles and opens her arms wide. “So bring. It. On.”
The three of them were walking back to the hotel for the night after their drinks. They were laughing together, with the three of them leaning on one another as they tottered drunkenly down an alleyway. Pandora was singing a lovely song in a language that Astrid didn’t know, and Shea was half walking half dancing as they went. Astrid was happy and drunk and distracted. She didn’t even hear the footsteps approaching them from both sides.
It was just a tiny pinch in the back of her neck, and Astrid fell limp, crashing to the ground as all feeling fled her limbs. She fell at an angle that gave her a clear line of sight on Shea and Pandora as the men appeared from behind a dumpster demanding money. Pandora laughed, thinking it was a prank, while Shea fought back, lashing out with the skill of a woman who had endured many barroom brawls. But even the Shieldmaiden couldn’t wrestle her way past a gunshot.
Shea fell to the ground. Astrid wanted to scream but couldn’t move her lips. She was helpless as she watched Pandora realize what was happening… she screamed as she saw the hole in Shea’s head, the blood splatter on the wall… another gunshot silenced Pandora’s screams, the laughter, the song, the dance falling away as the girl fell limp to the ground.
Her friends were dead. Her new family was dead. She couldn’t help. She could only watch. Only watch. They were dead and she couldn’t help them. She’d let them down. Let them down. Let them down…
Astrid woke in a cold sweat in the dark hotel room. She breathed heavily, already sitting bolt upright. She looked around the room, checking everything, pinching herself… just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. The three of them had made it back perfectly safely. Shea was fine. Pandora was fine. They were all safe.
She sighed heavily as she collapsed back down in the bed. It was going to be a long week.
As she speaks, Astrid is in armor, sword in hand as she sharpens the blade with a whetstone. She is sitting on a rock in the forest, smiling as she looks into the camera.
"After Night of the Immortals, I promised my Shield Wall that I would come out swinging harder than ever, a newfound determination and drive in my heart to overcome the obstacles that stood in my way. At Sacrifice a week ago, thanks to the encouragement and love of so many of you, I was able to start to deliver on that promise. A thrilling battle! One that I will remember for years to come as a turning point, a moment that we all stood together proudly and overcame incredible odds, the moment where I gritted my teeth, gazed into the eyes of the Diamonds Division and said: 'My turn.'
Last night I let the whole world know that I'm just getting started. I have a lot of work to do.
See, I've been seeing the Diamonds Division get pummeled by bullies and monsters, creatures whose thirst for destruction overrides the honor that warriors should share as a common bond. When I saw Maxine Valentine start to savage Crystal Miller after their match, I knew that I couldn't simply stand by and continue to allow such a mockery continue. I had to take a stand - and I did exactly that. I'm done being passive and simply accepting such senseless brutality as 'part of the norm', simply rolling over and allowing women like Crystal to endure viciousness they don't deserve. It's time to take a stand against this darkness festering in our division, so that the Diamonds can come together with respect as warriors should. Because when we come together, united in our cause to make the IWF a better and stronger company, magic happens."
“Another round!”
Astrid was all smiles and laughter as she, Shea O’Hara and Pandora Freeman enjoyed another round of drinks in their post-Open Fight Night celebration. It seemed natural to be enjoying time with these two – even though she was relatively new and they were the two champions of the Diamonds division. The titles didn’t matter tonight, though – Shea and Pandora were the women for whom she had felt the most respect since coming to the main roster just a few short months ago. The three of them were laughing and smiling together as though they’d been friends for years. This was one of her favorite things about being in the IWF, despite what most would assume about her. She didn’t JUST come here for the fights and the thrill of battle, but for the bonds between warriors that such experiences forged. Camaraderie. Family. It was the life she had always dreamed of, and it wouldn’t be the same without trusted friends to share it with.
“Jeez, Shea, you were not kidding about how this girl drinks!” Pandora exclaimed as yet another round came to their table – a massive glass of Mead (Astrid always made sure that they went drinking somewhere that offered mead, and Shea had scouted a hometown place for them with this in mind), a few shots of Powers Whiskey for Shea, and yet another colorful mystery drink for Pandora after her order of “Surprise me with something different every time!”. On the table between them was a whole assortment of pub food, from appetizers to entrees, in various stages of consumption – no matter how much or little the other two women ate, Astrid knew that she’d be able to polish off whatever was left over.
“I like to think of it as preparation for Valhalla,” Astrid replied with a chuckle. “Once I die, I’ll have infinite quantities of everything here and more – its wise to prepare for such an existence, yes?”
Shea beamed, clearly trying to keep the same energy level as the other two, but Astrid could clearly see the dark circles of exhaustion under her eyes. Astrid knew that Shea hadn’t been sleeping well for the past week, and wouldn’t have held it against the Shieldmaiden if she’d wanted to rest after OFN… but her friend had soldiered on, drawing energy from friends and having much worth celebrating.
“Well Pan, we’ll make sure to invite you along next time, too. This is fun! Besides, I couldn’t not show you two around home.”
Pandora giggled merrily, enjoying most of her drink with gusto as the band struck up a new song. She made an odd face as she examined the glass before shrugging. “Something fruity. Strong, though. OOH! I like this song. BRB girls, champion’s gotta move!”
With that, Pandora was on her feet in a flash, moving out closer to the band before joining the other patrons in a furiously energetic drunken dance. Astrid kept smiling as she watched her go. Pandora was a beautiful girl, a warrior’s spirit and bundle of energy… she had more than earned the right to call herself a Skald in Astrid’s eyes, though the Valkyrie had to admit to herself that there was a small amount of bias that was only seeming to grow…
She shook her head to clear her thoughts before turning back to Shea, her face turning a bit more serious with Pandora gone. “Have they been that bad, Shea?”
The Shieldmaiden sighed. “Comes and goes. I don’t know how she’s been doing it, but every night… and with the match next week, and that shite she put on my car… I’m gonna have to get something to help me sleep if this keeps up.” She slammed down a shot before glancing back at Astrid. “And you’ll have to get ready, too. Now that you’re booked against her again… alongside me… I’d not be shocked if she started targeting you, too.”
Astrid brushed it off. “What nightmares could roust me? Everyone knows I’m fearless. There is nothing that she could send me nightmares of that would make me afraid – only sharpen my steel.”
Shea chuckled and shook her head again at Astrid’s display of bravado. “Besides, Shea,” she continued, a little more seriously. “You beat her tonight. You got through all of what she threw at you, and that was when you were alone. I’m with you, sister. You’ve beaten her again and again, no matter how the creature tries to spin it. She’s beneath you, Shield Sister. We’ll overcome her, even with her new and upgraded partner.”
Shea nodded. “Damn right. She doesn’t get to do what she’s done to me and get away with just a countout loss. She made this personal. And speaking of…” She slammed down another shot. “Alicia Lukas. You going to be able to keep your head in the game, here? I know she brings out the rage in you.”
Astrid shrugged again. “She does, but anger only brings focus. You don’t have to worry about me, Shea. I said it and I meant it – I have your back, thick and thin, and it’ll be Ragnarok itself before I let you down.”
Pandora seemed to fly back to the table, alive with smiles and laughter. “You twoooo,” she slurred merrily, “are NOT smiling enough for a celebrationyfun night. YOU! ASTRID! BIG GIRL! DANCE FLOOR WITH ME! I WANT TO SEE IT HAPPEN! Also it'll be funny and make Shea laugh.”
Astrid couldn’t help but laugh as she rose to the occasion, all too happy to take the firecracker’s offer. “I’ll embarrass the both of you,” she insisted, “but how could I say no? But before that… and before Shea finishes her last shot and we have to order another round… a toast! To friendship among warriors, and standing together against the dark!”
Shea grinned. “I’ll drink to that.”
Pandora laughed. “A shining rainbow lighthouse in the abyss!”
The three of them clinked glasses before Pandora dragged Astrid into the dance floor, and together laughed, danced and drank the night away.
"But some people, for whatever reason, want to tear that unified community that makes the IWF the best Professional Wrestling Company in the world apart. And so this week, my Shield Sister and I will enter the ring once again, and fight against two of those problems - the Svartálfar Rowan MacDonnough, and Alicia Lukas."
She shakes her head, sighing in irritation. "Alicia Lukas. You and I keep dancing around one another, it seems. Clashing here and there, sparring with words and fists alike. It's no secret that I have a bone to pick with you, Lukas. Many might hesitate to put you in the same category as the likes of the Svartálfar or Maxine, because unlike them there's nothing monstrous about you. You're a woman, a talented woman who fights like a warrior, never stooping to the same tactics that others resort to. And yet, for all of that, when I see you I see one of the most insidious forces within the Diamonds Division today. You are such an arrogant creature, expecting the whole damn world to bow and scrape around your whim... all the while pissing on everyone and calling it rain.
You showed your hand on that before the five-way last week. Right after Night of the Immortals, when everyone in the IWF should have been celebrating the accomplishments of our organization, taking pride in the company that we all share, and the community that we build within it... you were busy tearing it down with word after word. In an effort to insult me, you went so far as to insult the entire developmental division, once again repeating the tired line that it doesn't matter, that nobody cares about it... how many members of the IWF today got their start in Developmental? Warren Kane and our Shieldmaiden Shea O'Hara, to name a few besides me. Hell, if it didn't matter to anyone, then why did Hall of Famer Spike Kane work as head trainer for a spell? Just because you didn't have to go through that gauntlet doesn't mean that it doesn't matter, Alicia, and every time you say you don't care about it the rest of the wold simply hears that you don't care about the future of the IWF - only yourself. But what should I expect about someone who sneaks out of the house to fool around with other companies when the sun goes down? Or have you convinced yourself that you're somehow too good to adhere to a contract?"
She shrugs. "Maybe I'm being to harsh on you. I'll admit that you get under my skin, and not because of any insult you've leveled at me - I'm a big girl, and I can take a tongue lashing with the best of them. But you went low, Lukas. You insulted my friends. My family. Mess with me all you want, but go after them? Cross that line, and it becomes my life's mission to make you pay for every errant word."
She growls with anger. "And speaking of girls who screw with my family...
Rowan MacDounnough. You twisted, sadistic, psychotic little Svartálfar. I've had my eye on you since I first saw you across the ring from me. I've known you were trouble from the start, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I was called upon to take you down again.
You made a mistake, Rowan. A deadly mistake that you will come to dearly regret. I saw the way you tortured and tormented Charity Crowne from the Diamond in the Rough tournament all the way to Night of the Immortals. I saw how you stalked her, turned into her worst nightmare, and tried to take away EVERYTHING that she loves and holds dear. I didn’t try to stop you. I should have. Even if Charity Crowne is the antithesis of everything I believe in, she did not deserve to have that inflicted upon her.
So if you think I am going to stand by and let you do that same thing to my best friend? If you’re THAT foolish, to think that I will simply do nothing while you hurt and torture those closest to me? You have another thing coming. You’re just a monster, Rowan – cruel, inhumane, untrustworthy and foul, fighting through ambush and intimidation. I look at you and see only a coward, a creature afraid to fight someone at their best. A creature who fights through nightmares like a bully than through strength and honor like a true warrior. As much disdain as I feel towards your partner, you are far, far worse… and I am going to stop at nothing to prevent you and your ilk from inflicting suffering on my friends, or anyone else in this division. If you want to play this game with them, you’re going to have to go through me to do it. Come on! I dare you to try it. I’ll laugh through everything you have, Svartálfar! If you need to get people to give in to their fear in order to beat them, then I am YOUR worst gods-damned nightmare!”
She drives her sword into the earth, gazing in challenge directly into the camera. “And so, we’ll beat you. We’ll beat both of you. We’ll win because no matter how vicious, no matter how supposedly dominant, no matter how much you try to rely on smoke and mirrors, we’re strong enough together to overcome it. A monster and a girl who cares only for herself do not make a team – a team takes trust, a team takes camaraderie, and you two have none of either for one another. Shea and I? Do. We do in spades. Shea is my best friend on this green earth, and when we stand together there isn’t a force in the world who could take us down.”
She smiles and opens her arms wide. “So bring. It. On.”
The three of them were walking back to the hotel for the night after their drinks. They were laughing together, with the three of them leaning on one another as they tottered drunkenly down an alleyway. Pandora was singing a lovely song in a language that Astrid didn’t know, and Shea was half walking half dancing as they went. Astrid was happy and drunk and distracted. She didn’t even hear the footsteps approaching them from both sides.
It was just a tiny pinch in the back of her neck, and Astrid fell limp, crashing to the ground as all feeling fled her limbs. She fell at an angle that gave her a clear line of sight on Shea and Pandora as the men appeared from behind a dumpster demanding money. Pandora laughed, thinking it was a prank, while Shea fought back, lashing out with the skill of a woman who had endured many barroom brawls. But even the Shieldmaiden couldn’t wrestle her way past a gunshot.
Shea fell to the ground. Astrid wanted to scream but couldn’t move her lips. She was helpless as she watched Pandora realize what was happening… she screamed as she saw the hole in Shea’s head, the blood splatter on the wall… another gunshot silenced Pandora’s screams, the laughter, the song, the dance falling away as the girl fell limp to the ground.
Her friends were dead. Her new family was dead. She couldn’t help. She could only watch. Only watch. They were dead and she couldn’t help them. She’d let them down. Let them down. Let them down…
Astrid woke in a cold sweat in the dark hotel room. She breathed heavily, already sitting bolt upright. She looked around the room, checking everything, pinching herself… just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. The three of them had made it back perfectly safely. Shea was fine. Pandora was fine. They were all safe.
She sighed heavily as she collapsed back down in the bed. It was going to be a long week.
Well howdy there pardner.