#but ofc i decided that *after* rendering & editing them

[raiiny-bay]

here are some outtakes from my last edit btw

[granite-slab]

eValuation

First I’ll just sum up where I’m at and what I’ve produced:

F O R E I G N _ Q U A R R Y

- STONES THROW - software - virtual pre-made stones in a limitless white void lie still and silent - at randomly determined intervals a stone will be given life, rise up silently and hovering above the ground, then suddenly and loudly be flung towards the viewer and make collision with the screen itself, shuddering

- VISIBLE WOUNDS - digitally manipulated photographs photocopied onto polarising film - rocks and shattered LCD screens are posed on a lightbox and photographed, then taken into photoshop and edited to appear like limitless asteroid collisions with science fiction psychedelic colours

- LIQUID Q - video - various images referencing cell division and microscopic life are flattened by Adobe’s preset emboss effect among footage of cracking screens and computer pieces suspended in water, sound is sampled from cracking ice

- IMPACT SITES - colour pencil drawings - scratchy shitty sketches of liquid crystal diffraction patterns, phone screen cracks and craters

-------------------------

The work is an investigation into the materiality of technology, prompted by concerns of extinction, violence, material memory, trauma and labour exploitation, the dangers of understanding the world through science?

It’s pretty broad work inspired by far reaching concepts.

Aesthetically it’s taken on a science fiction flavour from some of my favourite films: Tarkovsky’s Solaris, as well as ofc 2001: A Space Odyssey. There are references also to the pagan landscapes of Dartmoor and the history of local stone. Granite mined from the moors in quarries managed by prisoners, used to build their own prison. 

The concepts toyed with some autobiographical content, on my personal feelings towards my relationship with/addiction to technology: but i dont think this is a very large part of the work - it is much wider than that.

The work started as a sort of one-note concept and material investigation (digging with a spoon), moved on to assemblage, then developed into this new body of work where sculptures are intermediated through video or photography and removed from physical space, becoming wholly digital and absent in their presence.

--------------------------

PRESENTATION

Following feedback from the formative assessment I decided to present the works in a dark space - the hot and smelly dark space room in the studio. It is a disgusting and claustrophobic space. During the presentation, to avoid confusion I will not be reading a written script, but I will be somewhat performing, using the light from my phone’s flashlight to highlight work, as if I’m at a dig site or something.

The STONES THROW piece will be running through, disrupting my muttering with loud and glitchy machine gun noises of rocks colliding. I will run it on a resolution far too intense for my laptop to handle, and consequently the simulation will run at a very low framerate, appearing very broken and stuttery. My laptop will be whirring loudly and struggling to keep up with the workload I have given it. I want the technology to be struggling, rendering the video sort of incomprehensible. Hopefully, in the dark and hot space this will be distressing and intense for the viewer.

Otherwise, the dark space will force the viewer into an uncomfortable situation. In order to properly view the 2D work they will have to manoeuvre around, finding angles at which the light from the tv reflects off the surface of the images so that they can see them. the simulation will be working in many senses, then.

The polarised images will be rested, cluttered, on a fallen metal air vent. This is a sort of cop out of a presentation. I tested with lightboxes and enjoyed the effect, and wanted to try something similar but without light. They are rested horizontal on a surface equally as reflective as they are - creating visual confusion. My idea of nailing an image into the lightbox is still one I want to test, but when I have attempted to print a larger image on a larger piece of film - not before. Cluttering the prints onto a dark and reflective surface also helps to... prohibit the viewer from seeing how shit the actual quality of the prints is. They look sortof discarded, like how they will be when I spend this next module refining the process. They were just tests after all, done rogue on the photocopier.

I nailed the other 2D work - the drawing and the galaxy - into the wall. I stripped this down from the formative, just one drawing - a crater - to juxtapose with the galaxy/big bang explosion. A creation and a destruction. One handmade, one a photograph. These are further away from the screen and are lit better than the horizontal prints.

-------------------------

PROPOSAL FOR 303

// new work? maybe // I’d like to experiment with video to make a companion for the software // two channel video in a dark and claustrophobic space [ one still and silent, occasionally loud and disruptive, the other constantly changing and ambient, trap the viewer between the two, constantly at the mercy of the work ] // new prints? maybe // new drawings? doubt it [ it’s not the right avenue for my work: i am not skilled and i won’t have time to improve ] //

//how will text fit in the work? // I’m not sure // I am reading Ed Atkins’ books atm, to analyse how his writing fits/doesn’t fit with his videos and installations // maybe an artists book? // or maybe I hold on to the urge to write and push it into something else… //

// continue to look into Katrina Palmer // perhaps the work should shift to be site-based, with a focus on a local area? // it is hard to tell how big I want the work to go in conceptual scale // I have a desire to make something all encompassing, as much about everything as it is about nothing //

// push specifically the conceptual and theoretical understanding of the work // try your best, Sam, to not get tired of it and move onto something else // make this as developed and complete as possible // look into materiality // investigate sculptors who write // try not to avoid sculpture, try it again //

// I want to focus on making the work emotionally engaging to the viewer, upsetting and unnerving // how to do so without being cheap or narrative // do I want a narrative? // no no no // not this time //

// materially? // I need to be big sheets of polarising film, and attempt to print onto them // large format inkjet or screen // work out the ink type I want to use, what finish, if I want them backlit or hung, glimmering // displayed in the dark? // the viewer has to use their phone torch to see the work // impossible to take photographs of = impossible to capture for Instagram = real work not virtual work //

// otherwise resources I would require would be, largest TV possible or video wall // I don’t know how likely this is // I would also need a high powered PC to run the stones at the best possible resolution //

[adampage]

D&B

Pairing: AJ Styles x OFC [she has a name unfortunately bc I found it difficult to not name her, but  I might try the [Y/N] stuff from now on

Word Count: 8,426 and I’m sorry

Warnings: There wasn’t going to be a warning at all and I went with a twist of Daddy!kink and light spanking at the last second and I’m not sorry

Tagging: @llowkeys / @wrestlingbabe / @sjwrites22 / @reigns420 / @xxmaddhatter39xx / @hardcorewwetrash / @helluvawriter / @wwetrashqueen / @the-geekgoddes

Author’s Note: It’s my first fic and it’s not perfect at all thank you for reading! Constructive criticism is welcome (: Also, as a sidenote, I might just stick to fluff from now on bc reasons.

Dave and Buster’s is normally a very crowded place. There are gaggles of children everywhere, with their mothers and fathers huddled in a group talking as they watch their children from their peripheral vision. At least one mom is always peeling herself from the group to go chastise one of her children for getting into mischief, and once she gets back another mother inevitably leaves to deal with her devil spawn. Children’s squeals ring through the two floors of arcade games and bowling alleys, the noise two decibels too high for a normal person’s ears to handle.

But tonight was different. Tonight was adults only. It wasn’t as crowded, though there were definitely enough bodies for the ventilation system to be rendered useless. Every game had at least four people huddled around it, friends cheering friends on as they sipped their beers. The bar at the back of the first floor was full of guys showin’ off for tipsy ladies. Top forty music was drowned out by 8-bit sound effects and twenty-somethings laughing at each other. And at the main entrance, employees in glow in the dark shirts handed eighteen, nineteen, and twenty year olds green plastic bands to wear so they wouldn’t try to order alcohol. The young adults fussed at the employees, mad as all hell, until the employees threatened to call security. And through a certain back entrance, a small group of superstars thanked the manager for letting them through undetected.

One of them, undoubtedly wearing a ball cap to tame his long brunette hair, stepped in front of his friends and rubbed his hands together, a green band on his wrist.

“All right, guys. You know the drill. We’re gonna get my son that limited edition Star Wars toy from that top shelf if it takes all damn night.” He grinned at them, and one particularly tall friend in a black beanie groaned.

“I’m kidding. Y'all have helped me enough. Y'all never win enough tickets anyway.” At these words, he ran.

A chorus of angry protests trailed behind him.

“Yeah friggin’ right!” “Oh my god, AJ.” “Are you serious?” “What the hell, man??”

But he was long gone.

AJ spent the first hour playing every game on each wall of the place, never bothering to try for the ones near the center area. There were too many people, and it was already nearing one in the morning. He busied himself with racing games, shooting games, and the like. Naomi passed by with Jimmy, already slightly tipsy, and her husband was spewing nonsense. AJ was laughing so hard by the time they left, he had a hand over his abdomen.

After a few more minutes, he got bored of the arcade games and decided to go upstairs, where he heard a bowling tournament was going on. He wasn’t much good at bowling himself, but he knew Ambrose and Corbin were, so he figured he’d see them up there.

Sure enough, Dean and Baron were in the second lane, fast friends when they realized they both shared a love for pin falls. AJ made it to their lane just as Dean made a a strike, sending Dean and Corbin into a drunken state of whoops and hollers, and AJ laughed when he saw them chest bump and miss completely. Alexa was with them, using an array of emotions he never saw her use during a show. She was smiling, not the malicious smile she liked to give the WWE Universe, but a smile that gave everything she was thinking away. AJ followed her gaze, and realized she was staring at Corbin. He slumped down next to her.

She had her hands supporting her, her feet splayed out in front of her to show her beautiful legs. Her eye make up was as on point as it was during a show, and AJ wondered if she had asked one of the make up artists to do her up before leaving the stadium earlier that night, or if she had done it herself.

“You do your own make up tonight?” he asked her.

“Yeah, why?” she answered. The smile on her face flashed brighter at the compliment she knew was coming.

“Looks great, Little Bit,” AJ said, putting an arm over her shoulders. She giggled, and wriggled out from under him.

“Stop,” she said, looking back at Baron and Dean, who paid no mind to her, as they were neck and neck with a lovely young couple, and were banking on a win. “Baron will see.”

AJ gave her a look, one eyebrow raised like a dad to his rebellious child. He motioned to Corbin with a nod of his head. “What, him? He’s distracted. Matter of fact, I doubt he’s glanced back here once.”

Alexa pouted. “But he might. And I want him to know I’m available.”

AJ leaned back on his elbows. “Well, he ain’t gonna know you’re available unless you tell'im,” he said, his southern accent getting thicker as his concerned dad side came out in full force. Alexa groaned, but nodded.

“You’re right. Here, let’s go get some beers for him and Dean.” She jumped off the booth, her straight blonde hair bouncing as she went.

AJ shook his head, and followed after her, his hips swaying like only a man who knows who he is can do. His biceps fit snugly into his plain grey tee, and his dark blue jeans hung low on his hips. A Swiss watch was clasped to his wrist. Any girl’s heart in that venue would start palpitating fiercely if he so much as glanced in their direction, and he knew it, too. He smiled at no one, watching a girl in a group of young women playing pool nearly miss her shot as she stared at him.

Yup, he thought to himself, stroking at his scruffy beard.

I still got it.

When he made his way past the pool tables to the upstairs bar, Alexa was there, chatting rapidly with the bartender. Her body language screamed, ‘flirty’, no doubt trying to convince the bartender to grab her some alcohol off the top shelf for a lower price. Her hands were crossed on the counter, body arched, cleavage nice and low. She noticed AJ nearing her and she winked at him, motioning to the flustered bartender, who was unsure where to even look. With a nod and a gulp, the bartender grabbed something off the high shelf and poured out three drinks.

“Here you go, miss,” he managed.

Her reply was in a voice AJ wasn’t accustomed to her using, low and sensual. It took all he had not to burst out laughing at the poor bartender, who was being played for a fool.

“Thank you so much, hon. I’ll see ya later, okay??” she lied. AJ grabbed two of the drinks, and Alexa grabbed the other one.

From the speakers, the continuous droning halted as the manager at Dave & Buster’s made an announcement.

“Attention all fun lovers, the DDR competition will be starting in fifteen minutes!”

AJ nudged Alexa. “Bet you Naomi’s gonna be all over that.”

Alexa scoffed. “Yeah, if her and Jimmy aren’t completely slammed by now.”

AJ thought about it. “I don’t know, I feel like that’d just make it all the more fun to watch. Plus, the best DDR competitor I know is me. I bet no one’s beaten the high score I got the last time we were here.”

They made it back to the bowling alley, where Dean and Baron were slumped back in their chairs, seemingly upset.

“Cheer up, guys, I brought you drinks!” Alexa pitched.

Dean looked up. He took the drink from AJ’s hand. “Guess I’ll take yours since you’re gonna be the party pooper tonight.”

AJ smacked him upside the head. “Hey, one of us has to be the responsible one.”

Baron thanked Alexa for the drink, and her face brightened. Dean retorted, “Hey, that should be your new title. AJ Styles, the 'responsible one.’” He extended his hands, picturing it. Baron grinned, and AJ frowned.

“Anyway,” AJ said, “how much you wanna bet that you’re about to get your ass handed to you again, this time by the pixie lady standing over there next to Baron?”

Baron looked up at Alexa, who was wide eyed. She mouthed, “what the fuck are you doing?”

AJ mouthed back, “just watch.”

Dean scoffed. “Psh, Alexa? She’s probably never bowled in her life.”

Alexa shot him a glare. “Yeah? If I’ve never bowled, why don’t you go ahead and make that bet?”

Baron’s eyes kept going from Dean to Alexa, surprised by this turn of events and happy to be given any moment to fuck with Dean. “Come on, Dean. Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

“You fucking traitor. Fine, twenty bucks says I win by at least fifteen points.”

AJ piped up, “twenty bucks? Dean, that’s pennies. Why don’t you make it a hundred?”

Alexa grinned. “How about one fifty?” Baron was steady glancing back and forth between Alexa and Dean, clearly hyped for the shit that was about to go down.

Dean growled, “agh, fuck it, one fifty it is.” He reached over to shake Alexa’s hand, and Alexa leaned over Baron to shake it. AJ caught Baron’s eyes wandering. He grinned to himself.

“It’s settled then,” AJ said, clapping his hands together. “Dean versus Alexa. If he wins by fifteen points or more, he wins one fifty. If he doesn’t beat her by fifteen points, Dean has to pay up. But wait…”

Alexa replied, “what?”

AJ chuckled. “What happens if you win?”

Dean waved him away. “Like that would ever happen.”

Baron stood up, all of seven foot tall. His dark eyes were bright with the spirit of drama and competition. “If Alexa wins, Dean and I do whatever she wants for the rest of the night.”

Alexa’s chest swelled at the thought, but she played it coy. “Alright, sounds fair. Dean?”

Dean gave Baron a sideways glance. “Are you drunk? This ain’t even your fight, man.”

“I know,” Baron said, “but you’re like a brother to me. If you lose, I’ll take some of the heat, too.”

AJ smiled a wicked smile. “Aight, y'all, now this is a damn competition.” He went to the monitor on their lane and punched in Alexa’s name as LILBIT, and deleted Baron’s name and the couples’ names, who had left. Alexa stepped up to where the different sized bowling balls were and grabbed one of the smaller ones and placed it in their cache.

Dean took a sip of his beer. As he stepped up to grab his bowling ball and make his first move, he sang, “Catherine Zeta-Jonessss.”

He swung.

Eight pins. Baron hollered, “nice one, Ambrose!”

Dean started dancing, and AJ egged him on. “Damn, Ambrose, you got moves.”

“You better believe it, baby,” Dean said, running fingers through his hair. He stopped a moment to take a sip of his beer, soaking in the glory, and then took his second swing.

He flattened the last two pins.

Alexa stood there, arms crossed. Channeling her inner spiteful bliss, she said, “Are you done?”

Dean sat down, waving her away. “Yeah, yeah. Make your move.”

Alexa bent down seductively as she grabbed her bowling ball. AJ shook his head. Baron was close to drooling. AJ waved in his face. “See something you like, Corbin?”

Snapping out of it, Baron began to blush. Alexa loved that color on him. “Man, seriously?” he said to AJ.

“Hey, AJ,” Alexa yelled. “That’s my line!” and she swung the bowling ball in beautiful form, toppling all ten pins.

Dean stood up, mouth agape.

Baron cheered. “Oh, shit,” he whispered, eyes darting back to Dean.

“How the flipping fuck?” Dean couldn’t believe.

AJ clapped his back in pity, and pointed with his other hand to Alexa. “Should’ve done your research, son. Little Bit over there has gone bowling every Tuesday with her dad since she was four years old.”

Baron was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach, and Dean glanced from AJ, to Alexa, and back again. Then his irritation started to show. “And just how long have you known that??”

“Since I met her. We’re good friends.”

As Dean sat there, bickering with AJ, something else entirely was going on in Baron’s mind. He was looking at Alexa differently than he ever had. Sure, he saw her every day at the performance center, at the gym, what have you. He saw her training. He’d seen her bleed and he’d seen her sweat. He’d seen her at her vilest, the heel she played on Smackdown, the Wicked Witch of the WWE. And he’d seen her at her best, smiling and happy with all of their friends and coworkers around. But something was different about tonight. It was like he was seeing her for the first time.

“Hey, Alexa!” he motioned for her to sit down, and she mocked Dean as he walked up to make his second play. Dean stuck his tongue out at her.

Alexa sat down next to Baron, his arm draped across the back of the chair.

AJ, pretending to pay attention to Dean, watched them from his peripheral vision. Baron leaned in close to Alexa’s ear, and whispered something. It must have been good, because AJ could see her break out in a smile.

Dean knocked over one pin. He missed completely on the second shot, and AJ gave him a slow clap back to his seat.

AJ stood up. With Dean demoralized, and Alexa and Baron clearly into each other, he decided to head back downstairs and find some more of his friends to liven up the group. He noticed Alexa was making her second play.

“Where are you going, asshole?” Dean shouted as he left.

“To find a way to make you feel better. Spoiler alert: it’s not Renee, so don’t get too excited.”

“You’re a bastard.”

AJ shot a hand in the air as he walked away, agreeing with Dean.

As he bounded down the stairs through the very drunk group of people, he noticed everyone was talking about one thing - that DDR competition they mentioned on the speakers.

If he remembered correctly, the DDR mechanism was in the center of the arcade floor, so he hadn’t gotten to it all night. As he walked, he caught sight of Carmella and Ellsworth, fast friends after their strange storyline on Smackdown. They were in a corner, taking multiple, constant selfies of each other like the Princess of Staten Island was known to do. AJ waved them over.

“Hey, guys, do me a favor.”

“Anything for the champ, AJ,” Carmella declared. Jimmy nodded in enthusiasm.

“Alright, kids. I need you to go upstairs and cheer up the ol’ lunatic fringe for me. See, he’s losing a bet right now and he might need some cheerleaders to urge him on.”

“Sounds fun!” Carmella grabbed Jimmy’s arm and led him upstairs, every man in the place watching her as she did.

He continued walking, looking around, unable to find his people. After a few more minutes and a couple more laps around the floor, he gave up as a bunch of people ran to the center of the place. He could hear cheers and whoops and hollers.

His curiosity was gaining momentum, but it all about took over his body as he heard another announcement over the radio.

“Congratulations, Miss Valerie!”

A voice in the background corrected the speaker, “it’s Valeria,” in an accent he recognized.

“Excuse me, congratulations, Miss Valeria! You just beat the old gaming record in place by a good friend of mine, known only on the game as AJP1.”

AJ’s jaw slacked. “There’s no friggin’ way.”

Naomi and Jimmy happened to be passing by and he gave them an awestruck look. “AJ, hon, isn’t that your gaming signature?”

“Damn right it is,” AJ whispered, seething. He made his way through the bodies, leaving Naomi and Jimmy behind.

He could hear the familiar sound of DDR music through the rowdiness, but that was nothing to the beating of his heart in his ears, the blood pumping. Why was he so furious? He thought about it as he pushed through.

He’d loved arcade games and video games since he was young. In his old house, before he and his wife split, he had an entire room specifically for the exhibition of the classics. Pac Man, Galaga, Tetris, Donkey Kong, Tron, Street Fighter. He also had an old Nintendo 64, a Sega, a Game Cube. He was into all that stuff. But there was only one place in the world that fueled his passion for it to the brim, a place that had not only the best, but some of the most obscure games he’d never find anywhere else.

Getting signed by New Japan afforded him one of the greatest experiences of his life. He got to experience a new culture, a different way of thinking, and a new set of people that pushed him to his limits and beyond. While he would say he found some of his best friends in the business, some of the greatest wrestlers of all time, in New Japan, it didn’t always mean he felt happy being there.

There were times when he had missed his sons and his wife so much that he couldn’t bare to go out with the boys and ruin their fun. He needed time on his own. He would bury himself in the one other love of his life. In time, some of his friends began to notice his obsession, and they felt that maybe it needed some sort of growth, but in a healthier manner.

Shinsuke came up to him one night, after a difficult, sweat-inducing training day.

He clapped AJ on the back, handed him a bottle of water. “Hard day,” he said, the words coming out slow, breathing deep after the beating they just took. AJ took the bottle thankfully and chugged it down in under fifteen seconds. After a couple of deep breaths himself, he answered Shinsuke. “Yeah, man. I’m beat. I’ll be all right, though.”

Shinsuke gave him a once over, to make sure it was true, and when he was assured he switched gears completely. “You like games.”

AJ raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going. “It’s a hobby of mine.” He waited.

Shinsuke took another deep breath, and continued. “There’s a place near my apartment. We should go. There’s a game I think you will like.”

And so began his love of Dance Dance. It was his guilty pleasure. When Shinsuke had recommended it to him at the arcade center, Shinsuke hadn’t expected AJ to love it as much as he did. But every other night, after a long hard, day, AJ would wait till everyone else had gone, swatting away any invite to go get fucked up at the bar, and grab Shinsuke’s bag and tell him, “let’s go.”

It became a friendly competition between them. They’d play round after round after round, until it was damn near closing time. At first, AJ was little more than two left feet. He could still hear the sound of Shinsuke’s laugh ringing in his ears, the sound of young Japanese girls swooning over Shinsuke as he dominated AJ with ease. But still he pressed on. It was something different. In other games, he relied on his already practiced hands to win. This was the one arcade game he’d ever seen that forced him to have the same caliber, if not a higher one, of intelligence with his feet.

As he continued to obsess over it, Shinsuke slowly started to fade away from it. It wasn’t because he didn’t like the game, after all he was the one who exposed AJ to it. It was because he didn’t have the passion for it like AJ did. And he was happy for AJ. If anything, something about the game and the way AJ spent hours on it brought a change in him.

He became more nimble in the ring. He was happier. He was more enthusiastic. Shinsuke had known being here without his family had been difficult, to say the least. He had young boys and a beautiful wife at home, in the States. He was glad that he had found a way to relieve some of that depression that had glossed over AJ’s life here.

In time, AJ had beat every conceivable record. Once he felt at peace with his victory, he slowed down. But the symptoms, the advantages of playing the game stayed with him.

When he got back to the states, he made damn sure his friends came with him to the arcade centers like Dave & Buster’s after each pay-per-view, as celebration for each of their victories or defeats. Most times, he and his friends would have a goal to make enough tickets to buy the most expensive item on the prize shelf. Tonight, though, after a particularly grueling set of matches, he just wanted them to have fun. He had expected the night to be full of laughs and cheerfulness, but something about losing the record on DDR struck a chord with AJ. Maybe it was the loss he suffered tonight against the Miz, of all people. He knew it was planned. He’d conceded to the storyline weeks ago. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to suffer for it. The rage burned through his stomach.

A voice broke through the crowd.

“So, anybody up for another round? Or are all of y'all too chicken?” Some people groaned, others yelled, trying to cheer some friends on, but no one would step up to that piercing female tone.

It was like dry ice. It could freeze you in place and then burn you for it.

“Whaaat?” she continued. “Really, no one? Hell.”

He looked for where her voice was coming from, and found its owner. She was a foot away from the machine, one hand splayed across the resting bar. The other was up in the air, begging anyone and everyone to fight her.

Her round face was a perfect shade of beige, her lips a rosy pink, her nose long with a small crook just past the bridge, like a renaissance painting. But her body….AJ felt something stiffen between his legs.

She wasn’t perfect. Not at all, he told himself. She was nothing compared to the women he spent his days with training, battle-hardened, made-for-tv individuals. No, compared to them, she was soft, squishy. But something about her body made him tense.

Perhaps it was the way she carried herself. She didn’t seem to be afraid of one face she saw in the crowd around her. Her smile was coy, her eyes, though a deep dark brown, glistened like the color of Coca Cola. They were sweet and addicting all at once.

Perhaps it was the way her cami top cut a little too low, the way he could see a ghost of her nipples, the way her top rose to reveal a chubby little tummy when she heaved from the exercise she had put her body through. Maybe it was the way her yoga shorts rose to reveal her ample thighs, and AJ’s mind flashed him an image of his own head between them, grasping them with his rough hands and hearing her yelps and feeling her winces as he planted love bites all over them.

AJ shook the thoughts away. She was standing next to the manager, his good friend, who had made the announcement about the broken record not moments ago.

He made his way over to the manager, who took his hand and gave him a clap on the back. “Was wondering when you’d show up,” he remarked.

“Yeah, well,” AJ laughed, trying his best to hide his irritation, “had to see who was responsible for my downfall.”

The woman’s eyes grew wide. “You’re AJP1?” Incredulous and disbelieving, she crossed her arms. “No way.”

“Actually, I am. Surprising, I know. I don’t look like much.”

The woman was taken aback by his humility. From what she knew, he was a big deal. For anyone who knew of the game, of course, at least in this particular D&B. She gave him a once over, looked at his fit form, his strong biceps, his long hair, the ball cap that shaded his eyes. Without thinking, she dipped her head closer to him, to get a look at his eyes. His eyes were the color of clear blue water lapping on a Hawaiian beach. She gasped, and AJ, who hadn’t moved an inch under her gaze, gave her a questioning look.

Though AJ would never admit it, the fire he felt in his stomach wasn’t from rage anymore. She was doing things to him he would never understand, and who knew if he’d ever know she was getting the exact same feeling.

“One round. Triple A. The hardest song.”

Her confidence was borderline conceited, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. The entire crowd and Lee, the manager, which he’d forgotten as he gazed at her, started cheering him on, begging him to accept the challenge.

AJ turned to face the crowd. He couldn’t help himself. Being a performer was a part of him. He gave them a crooked smile, and yelled, “Should I accept the lovely Miss-”

He looked at her.

“Valeria.”

“Should I accept the lovely Miss Valeria’s challenge?”

Everyone cheered.

“Are you sure?”

They cheered louder.

He turned to face her. “Miss Valeria, I can assure you, you don’t want none of this.” The crowd ooh'ed. She rolled her eyes. “That being said, are you ready to lose?”

Her eyes darkened. “Hell no.” The crowd erupted.

The manager took his mic and made an announcement on the intercom.

“The breaker of the record challenged the previous record holder to a round of DDR. Everybody get down here!”

Upstairs, Jimmy, Carmella, and Dean perked their ears up at the announcement.

“Jimmy, Carm, I think AJ’s about to do something stupid.” He grabbed his leather jacket from the chair in front of him, whipping it on as he and the other two made for the stairs. “Hold on, where’s Baron and Alexa?” Dean said, eyes searching those who were still upstairs, only to come up short. “Forget it. Let’s go find AJ.”

Valeria chose the song. It was one of AJ’s favorites, and he remembered the day he first conquered it. He was alone. Shinsuke hadn’t accompanied him that night, and everyone had grown tired of watching AJ on the DDR floor. That last step had made him feel like a million dollars. Relief flooded over his body, and he could feel the cold sweat running down his spine. It had been a great moment, and he was glad he had been alone.

Now, he was all business. He squared up his shoulders as he waited for the arrows to roll. Valeria stood to his right, with a fixed and focused expression. Her mouth was in the shape of a small O, breathing deeply, and AJ vividly imagined her mouth around his-

The arrows rolled.

It was hard to focus when a girl like that was a foot away from him.  He could feel it, that same cold sweat and goosebumps as his feet moved quickly.

But she was quicker. By God, she was quicker. She had the reflexes of a feline, and while he wasn’t exactly struggling, he was nowhere near her level. AJ could feel the blood pumping through his veins, through his arms and through someplace much, much lower.

Her long, brown hair bobbed and bounced. She took a glance in his direction, and noticed something akin to being nervous, and smiled to herself. Always one to make others feel more uncomfortable, she began to dance. As in, actually dance. Her hips moved to the rhythm of the Japanese dance music, and men in the crowd hollered. She thought she saw AJ glance in her direction, and she flicked her hair above her shoulder, dancing with every inch of her body. She manipulated every curve and every exposed bit of skin to her advantage, all the while managing to stay ahead in the game.

AJ was a mess.

When the song was over, and the game tallied up their points, he bowed to Valeria as a show of sportsmanship, knowing she’d won.

With a grin she turned to him and bowed, then to the group of people huddled around.

From the back, a group of people pushed through the crowd, and AJ recognized Dean and the rest of his friends.

“That’s okay, AJ, baby, you’re still number one in my book!” Dean applauded, grinning from ear to ear, and AJ pulled him into hug and clapped him on the back, not bothering to stifle his laughter. Dean patted him on the cheek.

Carmella and James were taking pictures, and then AJ saw Naomi and Jimmy in the back.

“AJ, honey boo, what happened??”

“What happened? I met my match, that’s what happened. And where the hell were you?” AJ said, hugging her and giving Jimmy a clap on the back.

“We were in the bathroom. Naomi was all fucked up. I was gonna leave her there, but she insisted I hold her hair up in case she threw up,” Jimmy stated jokingly.

Naomi smacked him lightly. “Way to tell everybody my business!”

“Not like everyone didn’t see you make a fool of yourself earlier.”

“Oh my god!”

AJ loved their banter. It reminded him of him and his wife. The thought grew sad. Then he remembered Valeria. It seemed she remembered herself too, as she piped up. “Y'all must be AJ’s friends,” she said, holding out a hand.

“Damn,” Dean whispered to AJ. To Valeria, “anyone who could make the phenomenal one drop a few pegs is a friend of mine,” and he pulled her into a hug, making sure AJ was watching, Dean’s hands dropping down her lower back in a manner that was just a little too friendly.

AJ ignored him, introducing Valeria to his friends, silently wishing they’d all scatter so he could have some time alone with her. He couldn’t remember the last time he even talked to a woman he was interested in. After the divorce he kind of just….fell off the map. The last person he remembered feeling something for was Maryse. He knew Maryse had feelings for him, too. Hell, he’d acted on them one night. She’d been backstage at a show, Mike nowhere to be found, and he discovered her by herself, clutching her stomach, tears falling. The staggering confidence she normally radiated was gone, and his heart ached for her. He sat down next to her, asked her if she was okay, if she needed water, food, anything. In a gesture that was very un-Maryse, she reached her arms out in a hug, and he instantly enveloped her. He could smell her sweet perfume, and he could feel the wetness on her cheeks from crying silently. Without thinking, he began to kiss the tears away. Maryse stiffened, unsure of what he was doing, but eventually she let him continue, warming to his lips’ touch. And then the moment was over as quickly as it began. She pulled away, and shook her head, and AJ knew that it would never happen, nor should he mention it, again. He shook all feelings for her away after that.

Valeria waved to all of his friends, shook some hands, hugged a few. When she’d acquainted herself with everyone, she said, “All right, now if y'all don’t mind I’m going to take this guy over here away while we talk Dance Dance,” and she pushed AJ through the already scattering crowd. AJ looked back, and saw his friends in various stages of shock, but they shook it off quickly, scattering as well, James with Carmella and Naomi with Jimmy, and Dean off to go find wherever the hell Alexa and Baron went.

“So be honest,” Valeria started, “did you let me win?”

“I didn’t.”

“Are you lying?” Her hands were on her hips. Something about her tone made a fire in AJ’s belly grow.

“Actually yeah, I let you win. Didn’t want you to feel embarrassed in front of about a hundred people.”

Her eyes flared. “Are you fucking serious?”

“I damn sure am.”

“I want a rematch.”

“Why? You know you’re gonna lose this time.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yeah I do.” He said, taking a step closer to her. She was so sexy when she was angry.

She took a step closer to him, bending her face close, wanting to yell in his face.

God, she looks beautiful.

“If you’re so sure you’ll win, why don’t you fucking prove it?”

“I don’t want to.” AJ wanted her so badly right now it was insane, and he didn’t want to stop her dead in her rage, so he switched gears and was doing everything in power to cool her down.

“And why the fuck not?”

“Because I want to have a drink with you first.”

She looked down at his wrist. “You’re wearing a band. And I know you’re not under twenty one.” She was trying to get under his skin, and he wasn’t going to have it.

AJ chuckled, to her dismay. “Yes, that’s true. I’m thirty eight. I’m wearing the band because I wasn’t gonna drink tonight, but I want to have a drink with you.”

The flush on her cheeks was unusual. For a girl who normally exuded confidence and a “gives no fucks” attitude, she seemed so small and precious just then.

That blush makes me feel things.

“What?” she inquired, and that’s when AJ realized he’d fucked up. Big time. There was no going back now. That blush was turning rosier by the second. He wasn’t going to do this - he was more respectable than this - but he couldn’t help it, he knew the best way to answer her was to just be outright with it. So he went for it.

He placed a hand gently under her jaw, fingers timidly grazing her neck. AJ looked into her deep brown eyes, and saw the warmth she didn’t dare express. And as he stood there, his other hand stationary at her waist, hesitating to do what he knew he would regret not doing, she made the decision for him.

His eyelids closed shut, the darkness helping to memorize the feel of her lips, the taste of her tongue as it edged into his mouth, the lingering aroma of sweat and the sweet perfume she probably spritzed on hours ago, all of it. His eyelids were shut so tight he looked as if he were in pain, as if he was holding himself back and he couldn’t and his entire being was struggling under her influence.

AJ felt both of Valeria’s hands touch his face, his scruff. Like the creeping wakefulness of dawn, he slowly opened his eyes and looked into her own. The glowing warmth in them was replaced by burning embers. They said to him, let’s go somewhere.

“Wait for me,” he spoke, squeezed her hand, and left her standing there, as he looked for the man of opportunity.

AJ found him at the front, helping his employees pack up the remaining wrist bands and flattening fold up tables. When he saw AJ, a smile broke onto his face. AJ couldn’t help but smile back, as this man was the most significant player in the story that was unfolding before his eyes.

“Lee, buddy.” He helped him pick up the table and fold it.

“AJ, my man. What can I do for you?”

“I need another favor.”

Lee stood there, his formerly pristine white dress shirt now a bit more wet than usual, his tie hanging back on his shoulder. He was missing his normal three pens from his shirt pocket. Lee’s grip slipped on the table, but AJ managed to hold on and fold it himself.

Lee swiped at his forehead, ran a hand through his shortly cropped hair. “I guess I could help you out. Depends what it is, of course.”

“I need a room all to myself. Is the the ball pit closed off tonight?”

Lee sighed, took a set of keys from his pocket. He shuffled through them, held onto one as the rest of them clinked to the bottom of the key ring. A Georgia tech hornet also hung off the ring, catching AJ’s eye and remembering how they even met in the first place.

“You gonna catch that game tomorrow?” AJ said with a smile and a light punch to Lee’s shoulder. Lee grinned back.

“Yeah, but I’ll be rootin’ against your team and you know it.”

AJ clapped him on the back as Lee handed him the keys, and AJ made sure to grab the right one in between his thumb and index finger, so he wouldn’t lose track. “Can’t believe I’m friends with you, man.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get outta here.”

AJ took his cue and left Lee to struggle on his own. Lee was good to him, he’d met him one day at a Georgia/Tech game, and they nearly ended up beating each others’ ass. But AJ was fond of him, and Lee was fond of AJ. They watched the games together, AJ would send him tickets to whatever wrestling events Lee’s kids wanted to see, and Lee would let him have the run of the arcade center. They were good friends, going on five years.

Valeria had sat down at the bar, and as he reached her he caught her speaking fast as a whirlwind with the bartender, but he couldn’t recognize most of the words. Then he caught one, “mijita”. He’d heard Latina women at the grocery store in Gainesville use that word when speaking to their children. Then he recognized “cabron”. He cocked a half smile, knowing that was an insult.

“Not talking about me, are ya?”

He expected Valeria to jump a mile, but she didn’t. “Surprisingly enough, no.” Her hand was on a drink, and the other holding her chin up. Another drink was next to her, and he sat down on the stool in front of it.

“For me?” he said.

“Just one.” She leaned in to whisper into his ear. “Not enough to get you drunk, because I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

He grinned at the drink, taking a sip. “Seems fair.”

She leaned in to whisper again, closer this time, “but just enough so you have the courage to fuck me silly.”

He felt the bastard between his legs stiffen.

“Let’s go.” He left a twenty on the counter, and took her hand. He led her all the way up to the second floor, past the bowling alley, where he could see Dean and the rest, past the other bar, where he found Alexa and Baron shitfaced and making out - he grinned at that, past the other closed off room where they have the inflatable slide - he made a mental note to remember to ask Lee for that one next time, all the way to the end of the building where the ball pit reigned supreme.

This wasn’t just your average ball pit either. As he unlocked the door, and Valeria giggled, a grand sight splayed out in front of them. The ball pit was twenty five feet by twenty five feet, or at least it looked that way. Sky blues and meadow greens were everywhere. The black net that came up to make the walls could mesmerize and dizzy you if you stared for too long. Valeria, holding AJ’s hand tenderly, urged him to follow her. With butterflies in his stomach, he did.

“So, AJ, besides hanging around in arcade centers, what do you do?”

She was buying time. As madly in lust as she was, her hands trembled and her mind was flying a mile a minute. Should I do this? How do I know this is real? Ay carajo, ojalá que no me despierte de este sueño.

AJ placed his hands on Valeria’s hips, bypassing the soft fabric of her top and just holding her, feeling the even softer, tan skin underneath. “I wrestle.”

Valeria giggled nervously, losing that confident edge she was used to wearing like armor. “Wr-wrestling? Like, wrestling wrestling? Or is that, like, an innuendo?”

AJ’s fingers kneaded carefully at her skin, and she could feel the rumble of his chuckle through the points where they made contact. As she became more comfortable with the thought of him, she hooked her arms around his neck. “I wrestle, and I’m a performer. I do house shows and everything, go on the road, stuff like that.”

“Is it fun?” she asked, head turning to the side, concern on her face. “I imagine it gets lonely.”

From under his ball cap, AJ’s eyes lowered to stare at the ground, thinking how to answer her honestly. “For the most part, you can get so busy you don’t even notice how alone you are. You’ve got coworkers, staff, fans, they’re always around. You’re either on a plane or at the gym or backstage before a show, and there’s always someone there, so it doesn’t look like you’re alone.” Valeria nodded, comprehending what he refused to say aloud. Without uttering a word, she reached a hand to take off his cap, and she threw it over the walls of the ball pit. At his raised brow, she replied, “I was getting tired of it shading your beautiful eyes from me.”

“You like my beautiful eyes?” he said, teasingly, all too happy to change the subject. As she shook herself from his grasp, Valeria backed away from him, reaching for the netted entryway of the ball pit.

Dios mío, si!

But a simple bite of her bottom lip and a quick nod as she entered the ball pit was enough to have AJ eagerly follow her inside.

This woman just might be the death of me.

She dived in, silently relieved to find out the balls were foam and not plastic, like they were back when she was a kid. AJ, diving in after her, was also relieved.

“Valeria, what the hell are you doing?” he said, pushing foam balls away like he was swimming. She was somewhere underneath that layer of foam, and she wasn’t coming back up. The only sign of her was the giggle that came from his left. He lunged, earning a shriek from the mass of foam, and as he clawed his way through, he managed to grab something squishy but firm, receiving another shriek and a reactionary kick to his tummy.

“Fuck, that was my ass, you jerk!” she giggled, struggling to stay away from his reach.

“I shouldn’t’ve let that bit of you go, then.”

“Oh my god!”

He followed the noise and direction of the shuffling balls, knowing there was no way she could escape. As she hit one of the walls, he heard a muffled, ay, christo, and could hardly contain his amusement. “You all right? Sounded like it hurt.”

About six feet away, he saw a small hand pop up to the surface and give him the finger.

With a gigantic grin on his face and butterflies in his stomach that absolutely refused to chill, he lunged for her one more time.

This time, she didn’t squeal or kick him. She pulled him close, swatting foam balls like flies so she could kiss him. Her hands went underneath his shirt, and he did the same, both of them getting the feel for the other. Valeria knocked her shoes off her feet, losing them in the sea of foam. AJ moved to kiss her neck, Valeria feeling the graze of his tongue, leaving a trail of wet to the top of her breasts. Knocking more spheres out of the way, AJ crashed his body into hers, letting her feel his rock hard erection through her thin, delicate shorts. His hands roamed higher under her top, and he gave one of her breasts a squeeze (“No bra?” “I was feeling slutty to-oh!”). She let out a feral moan.

Pleased with her reaction, he began to attend to bottom half of her body as she took off her cami. He placed two fingers between her thighs, feeling the wetness leaking through her shorts and her panties. He squeezed both her thighs with his strong hands, leaving small bites on them and earning sharp intakes of breath from Valeria at each one. This is what he pictured earlier that night, his head between her thick, stunning thighs, his mouth and his tongue all too eager to please her. AJ helped her take off what remained of her clothing as she unbuckled his belt to make him lose his own.

“Not yet, darlin’. This is all you right now.” With that, he went down on her. Her breaths grew quick, moaning his name as she held onto his hair for dear life. One of AJ’s hands reached up to twist a nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and his other pumped two fingers into her. Her moans were getting louder, and she begged for a release that was drawing closer, and she arched her back, begging for his tongue to go faster, rougher. AJ did as her body demanded, till he had her whining beneath him, so damn close to climax, before he lifted his head up, her flavor on his lips, a trail of saliva extending with him as he came up to kiss her. His fingers left, leaving her empty inside, and she placed all of her frustration back into the kiss he gave her.

Suddenly, as she didn’t notice when he’d taken off his clothing, his cock was rubbing at her clit, roughly, and she moaned in ecstasy as he placed two fingers back inside her, curling them in and pumping furiously. He growled in her ear, and she moaned louder, grinding her hips into him, her clit enjoying the feel of his cock against it, faster and faster until she could feel herself close to climax again.

He took a nipple into his mouth and sucked, sending the nerves around it and nerves at her heat into overdrive, and she heard him growl, “cum for me, darlin’” and that was it, she was gone, every part of her that begged for release was set into a spasm that she couldn’t control, and her hands pulled at his hair and she moaned his name ravenously.

“My turn, missy,” AJ panted, and Valeria nodded viciously. Without another word, she grabbed his cock, eyes widening as she took his entire length into her mouth. She heard AJ knocking foam away from them, wanting to watch her plump, rosy lips suck on his cock. His hands appeared at the back of her head, taking all her beautiful, shiny brown hair into them, pulling just enough to turn her on. His groans earned a smirk from her, making her pop his cock out of her mouth and receive a long, passionate kiss.

“I want you inside me, papi,” she whispered in his ear, which switched AJ into a whole ‘nother gear. Quick as lightning, he had her flipped over on her back, her hands grasping for the wall netting to keep her propped up. He molded himself to her body, grinding his cock into her ass, his chest touching her back, his face next to hers at the crook of her shoulder, one hand roaming below her torso and the other up to her breasts.

“Is that the way you like it, missy?” He growled into her ear, twisting at her nipple while the other hand fingered her clit again, wanting her to cum for him again.

“Yes, papi,” she panted, breathless, and AJ’s eyes flickered with fire at the word. He squeezed her other breast, continuing to rub circles around her clit, and she moaned his name again. Angry, he spanked her, not too hard and not too lightly, and she yelped.

“Not AJ. What you called me just before that. Don’t make me ask you again.”

“Oh, papi!” she cried out, and he placed his cock at her entrance, and it slid right in, slicked from her saliva and other juices.

“Yeah? You like that, darlin?” He spanked her again, grinding into her, and she could hardly breathe as he hit all the right spots inside her. He replaced the hand at her clit with one of her own, pulling back on her soft hair, biting at her neck, and twisting a nipple in between his fingers. He began to moan when she climaxed for the second time, her walls tightening around his cock, and he pumped into her a bit more roughly. As he rode out her orgasm, AJ’s hips stuttered and his seed spilled inside her.

His eyes were seeing stars once he pulled himself out, and he staggered a bit, tripping over a ball and falling back into the sea of foam, but not before he grabbed Valeria’s arms and pulled her in with him.

“Ay, mierda,” she croaked, her voice half gone from the erotic moaning that no one but AJ had heard tonight. His hands pulled her into a tight embrace, and she warmed up to him, annoyed by the uncomfortable place they were in but enjoying the fire that resonated from AJ nonetheless. “I don’t know how we managed to do any of what we just did. This ball pit sucks.”

AJ nuzzled her nose, and she giggled. “I’ll make sure to ask Lee for a different room next time. But the real question is,” he said, his face turning all serious, “is where the hell did our clothes go?”

Valeria gasped, eyes wide with mock horror. “Oh, no…I guess we’ll just have to live here forever.”

AJ snorted. “Hell, no. Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said, pulling her up and leading her out.

“But, papi,” Valeria teased, “I can’t go out there all indecent like this.” AJ stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to face her. His eyes were dark again, and they studied her own playful ones.

“You just love to get me all turned on, don’t you, missy?”

She bit her bottom lip, and that was all it took.

Last Note: If you made it this far congratulations and thank you from the bottom of my heart. The DDR thing was fucking weird, I know, but I felt the need to write it. It made sense to me, and considering the fact that just two days ago, after I had already finished writing the fic, I found this gifset of Kenny Omega, I was like, “oh my god well at least one wrestler has proven this a thing thank the lord”. Anyway thank you again for reading and let me know what you think??? :)