Lunchtime at AFW

Jessica smiled. She had only heard of about half those places but she got the jist. "I hate those kinds of shows. Sometimes it feels like an elaborate excuse for a bunch of manchildren to play dress up. What about wrestling? What about, y'know, fighting?" Jessica rolled her eyes at the thought. Narratives in her mind were only important to get her feuds. Feuds were only important because that got her attention. And attention, of course, got belts. Which was always the goal.

"We never really had groupies in Iowa. At least not any good ones. Mostly just creepy dude in their mid-50's who just wanted to watch girls in skimpy outfits go at it. The girls you got in the ring were something else, though." A blissful grin appeared across Jessica's face. Oh the girls. The sweet sweet girls. Jessica blinked back to reality. She finished off her sandwich with two big chomps. "Y'all got groupies? I have had a few groupies here. Some of them are even hot." Violet eyes scanned Kandi, seeing what she would make of it.

Kandi wasn't too surprised to hear Jessica's somewhat dismissive response to the kind of wrestling she'd done before. It was pretty obvious that what engaged her attention was the conflict - no thrills, no added-extras, just two women trying to put each other out of the fight. Kandi gave a shrug, "We had fighting in there, some really great wrestlers too, but it was an indie outfit on a shoe-string budget. They needed some way to get the crowds in, and flashy spectacle tended to draw in more viewers than just two people hammering each other in a ring," The large pink-haired Brit paused for a moment to quickly chew at the next morsel of steak, swallowing before she continued, "I get your feelings though, some people will always look to places like the AFW to test themselves, and there's no wrong way to approach what matters to you here - for some it'll be entertaining the crowd, for others the glory, and others still will focus on getting themselves a title belt. Each of them have merit in their own way, and sometimes you'll find doing one leads naturally into another, right?"

Kandi's grin widened slightly as Jessica spoke of her experiences with groupies, those pretty, violet eyes seeming to look at her as if she expected Kandi to refute her in some way. The bubbly Brit had no intention to do so - she could see Jessica's appeal, from the large, powerful presence of her body, her attractive facial features, and the exotic quality of those piercing eyes that matched her hair. Kandi knew the woman had to dye the hair to get it that shade, but she wondered idly whether those were contacts, or really her natural eye colour?

"Right on, it's one of the perks of the job after all," Kandi laughed, "I mean sure, you get the creepy old guys, but wrestling is mostly a sport for the younger men and women, and when they watch us grappling and getting sweaty, well...they're skills that easily translate across to other experiences," she finished with a wink, her smile taking on a lusty quality.

Jessica prepared her next sandwich as she listened to Kandi. She looked up at Kandi and shrugged. "Gotta find some way to pay the bills, huh?" She liberally applied hot sauce to her sandwich. "I'm just looking for belts and titles. All the best wrestlers in the world are here. If I can grab a belt off one of them, well, then I am the best in the whole fucking world, huh?" Jessica held the monstrosity of a sandwich in front of her. "And if the refs don't see it when I kick a girl in the crotch, then it is her problem, not mine. The fans are mostly idiots, too. If they want to clap their hands like monkeys and chant like cult members, that's fine. I just don't see the point in pandering to them. You don't do that, do you?"

Kandi's eyes were a brilliant shade of light blue. Jessica didn't see the steel in them, a quality that many pairs of blue eyes had, but they were soft and comforting. Jessica's face slowly changed from a wicked grin or a scowl to something softer, something approaching warm. Maybe she was tired from the workout or sated from the sandwich, but Jessica felt herself loosening up a little bit. It was a nice change of pace.

"But yeah, the girls here are... something else." Jessica matched Kandi's lusty smile with her own. "Oh yes. There are a lot of girls here who are really flexible. That's I quality I have come to, err, appreciate. There are some dudes here too," Jessica wrinkled her nose, "But I prefer ladies for the most part." She took a bite of the sandwich. Kandi didn't take anything as an insult or at any rate didn't really show it. Jessica liked being under others' skin, especially in the ring. If she ever caught Kandi in the squared circle that task might be undoable.

Jessica talked as she worked on constructing her second towering sandwich, and Kandi listened as she polished off the rest of her steak, turning her attention to the last of her fries. It interested the pink-haired Brit to hear what motivated Jessica, at least in regards to being part of the AFW, and while she couldn't say she shared the sentiment, she could understand the appeal in being considered the best of the best. As the tall brawler finished her second sandwich and posed Kandi her question, the heavier woman gave another smile and a shrug.

"Me? I guess you could say I'm out to give the crowd a good show, but it's not like I'm the kind that hulks out on the cheers of the audience, or digs deep to catch a second wind due to some mystical fan-factor," she laughed as she raised her arms to give a satirical muscle-flex, her amply padded arms hidden in the sleeves of her sweatshirt, "I'm just out to have a good time, meet some cool and crazy people, and if I get attention while I do so then hey, it's a win all over. I guess I'm just the sort that likes to make people happy, in all sorts of ways."

As they continued to talk, Kandi could see Jessica's rough demeanour soften more and more. The girl seemed to seek conflict, given her earlier terse replies, but she wasn't likely to get a rise out of the plump DJ so readily - Kandi had her limits, but years as a plus-sized, alternative-scene DJ with an open mind and a lust for sensation had pushed them well beyond most people's ability to reach through words alone. It was like shouting at a wall; it was ultimately one-sided and didn't get you anywhere, so with a lack of opposition, Jessica seemed to be settling into a more natural state, the blunt hostility giving way to something closer to who she really was.

What really pried a smile out of her though was the topic of girls. She seemed to certainly admire the qualities of some of the ladies in the AFW, and while she seemed to grudgingly admit the presence of men, she was pretty up front in here preferences. Kandi, being entirely bisexual and far from limited in her tastes, was hardly going to judge Jessica for having preferences though, and she was glad to have found some common ground with her.

"Well I'll be honest, it certainly was a factor in my joining up," she said, casting her eyes around the room briefly, "There's a bevy of boys and girls around to suit just about every taste going, and I have a pretty big appetite," she added with a wink, popping a fry into her mouth as she grinned happily.

Jessica leaned back in her chair again. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I always give the crowd a good show. But that's not what I am here for. See, I've got too many massive pants. All I need is one belt." Jessica almost cringed at her own dumb joke. "But yeah, you should try and take a girl in the ring. I love the feeling of pride, of dominance. It's just so... just so..." Jessica was at a loss for words, thinking about Lamya. Kandi seemed so harmless, with no muscle in her arm showing, even if the flex was meant as a joke. Jessica narrowed her eyes for a second. Kandi appeared to respect her, but Jessica still wasn't sure she respected Kandi yet. She wanted to see her in the ring, or even the gym. She probably had some talent to make it here, even if it was more for fun, like she mentioned.

Jessica appreciated the fact that Kandi wasn't shy on the subject of sex. A lot of girls here feigned modesty, but Kandi was winking up a storm. She never really understood everyone's preoccupation with virginity and all that nonsense. Jessica wasn't pure by any stretch of the imagination, and by all guessing Kandi didn't act it either. Kandi wasn't even remotely Jessica's type but she did like the common ground they had. And it was true, there were all sorts of girls here. Jessica wanted someone strong or dark or both, someone she could challenge and be challenged back. Perhaps she had found that in Lamya. Only time would tell.

"Have you ever had anyone in the ring? The hentai matches seem really popular here. I feel like there are ones every week. Never did one. Or at least a proper one. I did manage to get a little intimate here." Jessica rubbed her sore neck. The cool room caused her sweat to subside. She was almost cold now and gave a shiver. "Tell you what. We're gonna play a game. If I can guess how many partners you have had within 5, I am going to eat that," she pointed at Kandi's plate, "Last fry."

Kandi snorted with laughter at Jessica's awful joke, more for how bad it was than any actual humour derived from it. The tall American had the decency to look mildly embarrassed at least, as she continued on about some of her less hostile experiences thus far in the AFW. Even in discussing such intimate subjects, the words she used were telling of her attitude; pride, dominance, words all about asserting who was better. Jessica obviously felt like she had a lot to prove, although to whom, Kandi wasn't certain.

Kandi smiled at Jessica's question. "Nothing official, although one or two of my indie matches got a little more heated than they were intended to. I did a few arranged matches for my old webcam stuff, but haven't done one of those in forever - it always felt a little too impersonal for me," she said, thinking back to the times she's spent rolling around with some strapping beefcake of petite little girl while people watched via the various webcams set up around them, taking in the action from every angle, "Not that it still wasn't fun, but it's hard to get any feedback from a computer screen. If someone's going to watch me, I want to hear them enjoying the show, yeah?"

As Kandi paused to take a drink of water, Jessica hit her with a curve ball she hadn't seen coming, and she arched an eyebrow as she set the bottle back down, "Oh? What are we talking about when we say 'partners' here? That's a pretty important distinction, like do you mean people I've done the whole dating thing with, fuck-buddies, everyone I've slept with?" Kandi suspected Jessica had meant all her various sexual conquests over the years, but it paid to be specific when a sweet potato fry was on the line.

Jessica felt she was spilling more than she intended to. Kandi seemed like a smart girl, even if she initially came off as a ditz. She hadn't really picked her words carefully, and she wasn't really prepared to be so emotional during lunch. These things happen, Jessica thought with a shrug. Although she could try and figure out what was rolling around in Kandi's head.

"I mean, if you are famous enough, or better yet notorious enough, to put butts in seats I think you're doing pretty well. Sometimes I almost wish the crowd would shut up, so I can hear the grunts and moans of the other girl. And if you talk smack properly you can throw someone off. And then actually throw them." Jessica didn't know what to make of the fact that she was throwing out more bad jokes than Dane Cook. At least she controlled her face a little better this time. "And to hear that nice big thud when you hit some slam. That is what wrestling really is." Jessica looked off pensively. She wondered to herself when her next match would be. Working out and sparring was fun, sure, but Jessica longed to be under the harsh lights of the arena.

Her gaze returned to Kandi. "But sexual partners. Guys and ladies." She looked Kandi up and down one more time, and her eyes lingered over Kandi's voluminous chest. This girl's appetite for everything seemed insatiable. She would have as many as she could get, which could be quite a lot. She screwed up her face and stroked her chin mockingly. "85. You have had 85 partners." Jessica did her best to sound resolute, like she had any idea what she was talking about.

Kandi saw how wistful Jessica looked as she talked about wrestling - it clearly meant a lot to her, seemingly both as a means of asserting herself and as a release for whatever she was keeping inside of her. The big Brit could appreciate that Jessica likely struggled to find that right balance between challenging and sensual she apparently desired, but hey, it was the AFW - if she couldn't find it here, Jessica wasn't likely to find it anywhere.

Then Jessica made her guess, a predictably high number which Kandi could appreciate made a degree of sense, but she shook her head with a grin, "Uh-uh, one guess down Jess," say said playfully, warming quickly to the game, the last fry sitting invitingly on the now otherwise barren plate.

Jessica pushed her plate closer to the plate with the fry. She wanted that damn fry. Just to prove she could read people if nothing else. Jessica sighed as Kandi told her she was off the mark. No way. This girl talked and acted like she had quite a bit of experience. 85 had to be within 5, surely. "I figured I wouldn't have to tell you it is against the rules to lie." Jessica scrutinized Kandi once again. The pink hair screamed outgoing and she was incredibly bubbly. She just didn't see where she could have any reserve in her. She didn't mind if Kandi thought Jessica guessed Kandi was a little promiscuous. Jessica didn't care one way or the other.

"Fine. 45. And I get three guesses." It was more of a statement than a clarification of the rules. Jessica felt a competitive vibe. Even at this simple guessing game, Jessica had a desire to be the best. She bit her lip, as Kandi had sowed a little doubt. It was 45, or around 45. Jessica was sure. Mostly.

Kandi's smile remained unchanged as Jessica made her second guess, that competitive edge showing as she even amended the number of guesses she permitted herself. Some people just have to win, Kandi thought to herself, not so much judging Jessica as simply acknowledging that intrinsic fact of her nature.

"Colder," she said with a slight purr in her voice, by way of offering a hint without being too blatant. She knew the number well enough - seventy six confirmed partners, although she was sticking to the conditions of partners she'd engaged in sexual acts with. If she included some of the other stuff she'd done with men and women that wasn't so narrowly defined, the number would be have likely broken a hundred. Kandi wondered if Jessica would suspect she'd overshot with her first guess, or take her hint to mean it was an even higher number.