A Rose And A Thorn

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A Rose And A Thorn

Co-Written By Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

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Chapter Thirteen: Losing Control

A blue streak ricocheted through the city streets, easily evading the police. No car or helicopter could ever catch up with Sonic, so he wasn't worried about that. What was bothering him was that he had to run in the first place. It was all the faker's fault. Shadow was turning everyone against him, again. And this time he was wanted by the police. For property damage. It was one thing to be wanted by the military for blowing up the best part of a city, but this was just stupid. It was really going to ruin his street cred.

Rouge was practicing dancing in her club - it always helped her to calm down after a fight or an argument. There was nothing else besides fighting that required such absolute concentration. If one had thought that her other outfits were skimpy, this one would struggle to cover a small plate.

Sonic looked uncharacteristically angry as he entered the club, looking for Rouge. Right now he felt like she was the only person who wouldn't be taken in by the faker's lies. When he found her practicing, the angry look was replaced with a stunned one. Blinking and regaining a semblance of coherent thought, he said, "Uh, hello Rouge."

Rouge managed to smile seductively, but still looked very angry, and not at all embarrassed at the position she’d been caught in, "You're in a hurry," she said quietly.

Sonic's face hardened again, "Yeah, well that's because the police are after me."

"What? The cops are after the planet's greatest hero?” Rouge smiled, “They must want an autograph."

That brought a smile to the blue hedgehog's face. It made him feel a little better. He started to pace back and forth across the room, "No. It's because of that fake hedgehog. He's turning everyone against me. Have you seen the papers?"

"What, like this one?" Rouge scowled and held up the paper with Amy and Shadow together, "Hero Hedgehog. That's supposed to be you, isn't it?" She smirked. That would buff up Sonic’s supercharged ego, and annoy him at the same time.

"He turned Amy against me, and now he's trying to steal my rep," Sonic growled.

"Oh, he did more than steal Amy," an idea occurred to Rouge, "I was out in Night Babylon this morning, and who do I run into, but the new Hero Hedgehog. He's been sleeping on the street all night from the looks of him. Him and Amy had an argument or something... anyway, he locked onto me. I was trying to make him feel better - and then he drags me into a side-street and starts feeling me up!"

Sonic spun and faced her, shaking in anger, "He WHAT?!"

"And then," Rouge was getting angrier by the second, "Then Amy comes along, and he sees her just in time and pushes me away, practically tells me I’m scum. And Amy just runs back into his arms!"

Sonic rubbed his head roughly, trying to get rid of the headache that was rapidly forming. At least Eggman had the decency to take him on in a straight fight, even if he did use those wretched scrap metal jerks to do it. Shadow apparently lacked the guts to do even that.

"WHAT DID I EVER SEE IN HIM?!" Rouge screamed to the empty Club, knowing full well what she had seen - a hot body with a mind that she could manipulate to do whatever she wanted.

Sonic didn't have an answer to that, but he sure knew what she saw now. Something inside his mind snapped. "I've had it with that faker! I'm going to settle this for good!"

"Good," said Rouge, calming down suddenly, "When you find him, give him a kick in the balls from me."

"Oh, I'll give him worse than that!" Sonic fumed as he turned and walked towards the exit.

Rouge blinked, suddenly looking worried. Sonic wasn't serious, was he? That was the macho crap he spewed all the time... right?

~~~

This has to stop, and it has to stop now! That was what was running through Sonic's mind over and over as he raced through the streets towards Amy’s workplace. She would know where the faker was... but she might not give the information easily. He knew he would have to persuade her somehow. He didn't want to have to scare her, but it looked like it could be his only option.

Amy, in the meantime, was alone in the shop. Today was quiet; there had been a lot of orders for deliveries, but not many customers. She was on a ladder, arranging some tulips on a high shelf.

Sonic skidded to a halt in front of the shop. He forced himself to look calm and in control. Maybe if he acted natural, she wouldn't feel threatened by him being there. Maybe he wouldn’t even have to scare her. Acting casual, he walked inside, and turned the little sign on the door to say CLOSED.

Amy heard the small bell above the door tinkle, and climbed down the ladder carefully, then turned, "Hey, Sonic," she smiled, "Come to buy more flowers for Rouge?" She stopped. She'd been following Sonic around for years, and she knew when he was stressed, "Something wrong?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Sonic said, trying to keep his voice nice and even, "I was hoping to find Shadow here... do you know when he'll be back?"

"Uh, no," said Amy, "And anyway, I don't think it's a good idea for you and him to be around each other right now... you’d probably fight."

"I just want to say that I'm sorry," he said, hanging his head slightly.

"For what? Nearly losing me my job, or treating me like a commodity for years?" Amy asked. She closed up the ladder and leant it up against the wall.

"Both," he said quietly. That much was true. He really was sorry for how he had treated her, and he wished there was some way he could make up for it. Sadly, he knew she was probably going to hate him even more soon enough, "And I want to say that I'm sorry to Shadow, too..." Yeah, sorry that I didn't beat his ass in earlier...

Amy started to feel uncomfortable, "So what do you want, anyway?" she asked him.

Sonic felt his patience start to slip. He couldn't wait here forever; he had to strike while the anger was still hot, "I already told you..."

"What? You want to see Shadow?" Amy looked puzzled, then slightly shocked, "You're going to start a fight with him, aren't you?"

Sonic's shock was genuine. He hated when she could figure him out that easily, "What? Why would you think that?"

"Because lately, that's the only reason you've wanted to see him!" Now Amy looked angry.

Sonic rubbed his forehead, feeling his frustration grow. Why could she not understand? "Well, maybe we need to fight to settle this."

"Settle what?"

"Just let me meet with him," he snapped.

"Hell, no!" Amy replied, "You'll fight with him, and doubtless one of you will get badly hurt! I won't have anything to do with that happening!"

"It's going to happen whether you like it or not! I'm not letting him hurt anyone else!" he suddenly shouted, his features contorted in anger.

"He hasn't hurt ANYBODY!" Amy raged. She stamped into the back of the shop, slamming the door that said 'Private' behind her.

Sonic swiftly followed after her, throwing the door open and storming in, "Yes he has, and I'm sick of everyone thinking he's so perfect! Even you won't believe me! Rouge is the only one who believes me anymore!"

"Well if you had any common sense, you wouldn't believe Rouge!" Amy replied, "She's hurt Shadow far more emotionally than he ever could hurt her physically!"

"You're following him just as blindly as you did me! You haven't changed a bit, Amy! Why does it have to be Rouge that is lying?"

"Because it is Rouge that's lying!" Amy snapped, "She's nothing but an inconsiderate WHORE, and she's using you to get at me and Shadow, can't you SEE that?!"

Sonic growled and lashed out, knocking a desk over and spilling office supplies to the floor, "Don't you EVER call her that!”

"Hey, watch it!" Amy tried to tidy up what Sonic had knocked over, "Why not? Are you scared that to her, you were just a one-night-stand? Another notch on the bedpost?"

Sonic shook his head. He refused to believe that. What he and Rouge had was more than just... some random fling! It had to be! "It wasn't! And you're delusional! Just tell me where the hell Shadow is so we can end this!"

"NO!" Amy shouted, "And that's my final answer!"

Snarling, Sonic reached down, grabbed Amy’s wrists, and shoved her against the wall, "Tell me!"

Amy gasped, and struggled, "Let GO of me!" she shouted at him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Not until you tell me where he is!" he shouted back, pinning her.

"Well then, it looks like we're at a bit of a stalemate," Amy answered, trying to keep calm, "I'm not going to tell you, no matter how much you push me around! I'm not scared of you!" she lied.

Suddenly, Sonic shoved his gloved hand up under her dress, his fingers sliding into her panties and rummaging around. He drew his hand away, the hammer she magically carried around with her in his hand, "So that’s where you keep it," he growled before tossing the weapon away, "What about now?"

"How dare you?!" Amy shouted, and slapped his face sharply. At least, that was her intention. He caught her hand easily and twisted it up her back, making her squeal with pain.

He felt sickened by what he was sure he had to do... but somewhat thrilled by it at the same time, the feeling of power. It was his first real taste, and power is a very addictive drug. He wondered if this was what it felt like to be the bad guy all the time, "Tell me where he is."

Amy was visibly shaking now, "No," she whispered.

Sonic felt betrayed by Amy. She had followed him since they had first met; sure, they had their disagreements about the terms of their relationship, but she’d always been his friend, and although he didn't say it, he did care for her. But now, when he needed her to trust him, she sided with Shadow. He was hurt and angry with her. And as he pinned her to the wall, looking into her frightened eyes, he realized that right now he could anything he wanted to her. What scared him was that the line between what he had to do and what he wanted to do was blurring fast, "Tell me where he is," he growled, "...or else."

"There's nothing you can say or do to make me-" Amy stopped. She could see something new in his green eyes – greed, "You wouldn't!" she gasped.

"Try me," Sonic growled. The words were said without him thinking them. It was like he was on auto-pilot, rational thought overridden by primal instinct. He pressed her harder against the wall, his green eyes piercing into hers, "Where. Is. Shadow?"

Amy's shoulder-blades tried to dig their way into the wall, "I… I shan't tell you..." she whispered, cowering slightly under his unblinking stare.

Sonic continued to stare her down, waiting for her to give in. Their faces were almost touching as Sonic looked over hers. He had never admitted it, but he really did think she was beautiful. He’d never told her, knowing it would only encourage her obsession. Now, thanks to the faker stealing her from him, he never could.

He held her chin to face him, "What is it you see in him that's not in me?" he asked her, his voice soft. Without any need for conscious thought, he leant forward and pressed his lips against hers.

Amy gasped, her eyes wide. A week or two ago, this kiss would have been like a dream come true. But that had changed. Lots of things had changed. Sonic broke the kiss, looking at her expectantly. She narrowed her eyes, "Get away from me!" she shouted, trying to push him away, "Shadow needs me! He loves me! He listens! He cares! He’s not a disgusting pervert like you, either!"

It came out of nowhere. The word ‘pervert’ set it off inside him, the straw to break the camel’s back. All his frustration and anger from the last few weeks exploded within him, fuelling the slap he landed across Amy's face. He regretted it as soon as it was done, but it was too late. He felt numb inside, detached, like a mere spectator. Self-restraint and self-control were not qualities Sonic had in excess, mainly because he’d never needed them. His desires had never steered him wrong before. And now that they were... he couldn't stop.

He should have trusted Amy’s judgement over Rouge's. He should have trusted Shadow after what they had been through together. Somewhere along the line, though, Sonic had screwed up. He wasn't a perfect hero, like he wanted others to think. He had his flaws, and those flaws had led to him violently tearing down Amy's little red dress, to the accompaniment of her shocked scream.

A little voice in the back of his mind was begging him to stop, to turn around, but it was too quiet to make a difference, and he was too far gone. He bit down on his glove and yanked it away from his hand, the hand he placed against her belly, sliding it up through her pink fur. He clutched roughly at one of her breasts, then grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head back, pushing his lips against hers again, greedily kissing her.

Amy started to scream through Sonic, her voice muffled. Somehow, the whole thing was being made worse by the fact that it was her supposed hero who was attacking her - no, molesting her - no, he was going to rape her. Was he? Amy's body didn't wait for conformation from her brain, and she started to thrash wildly.

"Stop, stop, stop!" she shrieked.

“Shut up!" he shouted as he struck her again with his fist. He dragged off her bra and began to grope her breasts painfully hard. Part of him desperately wanted to believe that he was simply giving her what she wanted, and his guilt was enough to make him buy into it.

“Sonic, please, please, stop!” Amy begged again, “Oh please, let me go…”

Sonic ignored her. He was pinning her to the wall, his hand sliding down over her hips. He dragged her panties down to her knees and rubbed his fingers perversely over her slit, "Where is he? Just tell me, Amy," he whispered, almost begging, “Tell me and I’ll stop…”

"NO!" Amy screamed, "No, I won't..." she managed, closing her eyes tightly and cringing in obvious fear, "I won't betray him..." she whispered.

Betrayal. The word almost snapped Sonic out of his madness, for he truly was betraying Amy, doing something to her that he never would have even considered before. But it wasn’t enough. Gripping her roughly, he dragged her away from the wall and tossed her down on top of a nearby table, spilling office equipment over the floor. He climbed on top of her quickly, pinning her arms and legs, and looking down at her naked body, seeing her fear... and feeling the thrill of it.

"Sonic stop, please, please don't do this," Amy begged, trying to push him away. She'd known from the start that she couldn't give him the information he wanted in good conscience, but she’d never in her most hideous nightmares believed that this could be the result, "Oh god, please don't do this, Sonic..." she pleaded as tears of raw terror began to roll down her face.

“Tell me,” Sonic growled, his body trembling in lust as her struggling aroused him, “Tell me where he is.”

“No!” Amy wailed, “Oh please, Sonic… please stop…”

Fear, anger, exhilaration, guilt, and arousal all mixed together within Sonic, a confusing and dangerous emotional concoction, as he looked down at her shaking body. He shifted on top of her, placing the tip of his erection between her legs as he looked into her terrified eyes, "Sorry..." he muttered, right before he penetrated her, pushing inside roughly.

Amy screamed again, somehow managing anger along with the pain and fear. How dare he tell her he was sorry, even as he forced his way in?! She tried to struggle again, and cried out once more, this time in pain. Sonic grabbed a handful of the remains of her dress, forcing it deep into her mouth as a makeshift gag, and she screamed muffled rage and terror through it.

Despite the perverse horror of the situation, the animal part of Sonic's brain was enjoying the sensation of raping Amy Rose and was reacting accordingly. There was something just cleaner about Amy than Rouge, and she was tighter inside as well. Sonic closed his eyes and groaned in pleasure, focusing just on it, forgetting about morals and enjoying the moment before reality got a chance to come crashing back down onto him.

Amy screamed wordlessly through the gag, tears pouring down her face, Why scream? Nobody is coming, nobody is coming... Wake up, wake up... any moment now you're going to wake up in your bed lying next to Shadow and it's all going to be a nightmare, it's got to be some disgusting nightmare...

She knew it wasn't.

Sonic grunted with each violent thrust as he continued to force his way into her, giving in to his most animal urges. His senses were aroused more each second by the feel of Amy’s soft body writhing beneath him, the smell of musk in the air, the sound of her muffled screams. In, out, in, out, harder, faster, deeper, rapidly approaching his orgasm... with no regard to the damage he was causing her body or her mind.

He gripped her hips tightly, his fingers digging deep into her flesh as he pulled her up against him repeatedly and mercilessly, sweat running down his face, an expression of crazed lust in his eyes as he stared down at her, his breathing a heavy rasp. Amy’s screams were increasing in pitch and becoming more and more frantic, he was driving into her as hard and as deep and as fast as possible, and it all felt so horrifically good…

Suddenly, his groans were silenced by a vice-like grip around his throat that stole his breath. He was dragged out of Amy and onto his feet, struggling to breathe. The world turned into flashes of pain-filled red as a gloved fist slammed into his face, once, twice, three times, and a foot slammed into his chest, sending him through the wooden door behind him, busting it off its hinges, over the floor of the shop, and both door and hedgehog smashed through the newly repaired front window, finally coming to a stop against a lamp-post.

Frightened pedestrians scattered as Sonic slowly got to his feet, groaning in pain this time. Although the door had protected his back from the glass, blood trickled down from his battered lips and nose. Looking into the shop, he saw a familiar pair of red eyes staring back, burning with hatred. Shadow stepped through the shattered front window and marched towards Sonic, his intentions quite clear. Sonic shook his head to clear it, and steeled himself for a fight.

Gasping for breath, Amy tore the piece of her dress out of her mouth and tried to think. She fell off the table and onto the floor, landing heavily enough to convince herself that she wasn't dead or having some horrific nightmare. She managed to stand and pulled a spare uniform around herself, and her panties back up to her hips, looking around the remains of the door-frame, almost paralysed with terror.

Shadow usually said something before he fought Sonic, but not this time. This time, he just stepped forward, a look of such rage on his race that the blue hedgehog had never before seen. A spike of fear twisted its way inside Sonic's gut, but he quickly pushed it away. He had been looking for Shadow, and now he had found him. With a snarl of anger, Sonic launched himself at Shadow, throwing a punch of his own. Shadow easily dodged the fist and counter-attacked with a kick that Sonic sidestepped. They were both a blur of motion as they spun and whirled, trying to strike the other. Suddenly, Shadow disappeared, and reappeared behind Sonic, slamming his foot into the back of the blue hedgehog's head. Chaos Control could be a real bitch sometimes.

Staggering away, Sonic turned, leapt into the air, and launched himself at Shadow, curling up into his famous spin attack. Shadow did the same, and the two spinning blades of doom connected in mid-air with a loud gunshot-like crack, the two combatants shoved away from the impact and skidding to a stop on their feet.

Amy gasped in horror. She badly wanted to help, but to be honest, she didn't know who to help. She certainly didn't want Sonic to win - but she didn't want Shadow to be a murderer, and that looked like what he wanted right now. She lifted her Piko Piko Hammer from the corner and returned to the doorway to watch - although at the moment, the two hedgehogs were moving so fast that there was an even chance that any attack of hers would hit Shadow or Sonic.

Sonic gave an angry battle cry as he ran towards Shadow. The black and red hedgehog gestured violently at Sonic, and a blast of painful purple slashed across Sonic, shoving him back. So Shadow wanted to play dirty? Fine! Sonic clapped his hands together with all the speed he could muster, sending a whirling Sonic Wind attack at his opponent, knocking Shadow back and unbalancing him. Sonic rushed forward again, leaping into the air, landing blow after blow into Shadow's face, his feet a whirling blur. Shadow cried out in pain and staggered back. Sonic grinned, the blood running down his face making his expression look even more wicked.

"Who’s pathetic now, huh?!" Sonic shouted in triumph as he landed a punch, then another, and another. Suddenly, the punches stopped taking effect, and Shadow started to glow red, the glow building in intensity as his face twisted in rage. The glow blinded Sonic and then exploded outward, sending him, several cars, the windows of nearby buildings, large chunks of brick, and nearby pedestrians flying.

A white-hot slice of car whirred through the air-space where Amy’s head would have been if she hadn’t had the foresight to duck at exactly that moment. It buried itself several inches deep in the wall behind her. She tried to remember what had happened the last time Shadow and Sonic had tried to kill each other - half the city had been involved in the general chaos. It didn't look like this time was going to be very different.

What the hell was THAT?! Sonic had never felt such power from Shadow, or such hatred. It felt like a couple of his ribs had been cracked, and his skin felt burnt all over. He shook off the pain and again got to his feet, meeting Shadow's hate-filled gaze, "You're going down, faker!" he shouted. It didn't look like he could match Shadow for raw power, but that was no different from several other fights he had been in before. Sonic bent down, curled up, and performed a spindash, zipping across the ground, tearing up the pavement, and charging at Shadow, who sidestepped easily. Sonic kept going and snipped away the nozzle of a fire hydrant that was behind the black and red hedgehog, sending a stream of pressurized water into his chest, knocking him back. The unexpectedness of this attack threw Shadow off again, and Sonic took full advantage of that, rushing forward and sending a series of quick punches into his foe's stomach.

Whatever that blast attack was, it didn't look like Shadow had built up enough energy to do it again. Sonic had regained the advantage, putting to good use a few moves he had learned from frequent fights with Knuckles. Instead of trying to fend off the blows, Shadow took them and leaned forward, slamming his forehead into Sonic's. As Sonic staggered back, Shadow brought his foot down on his knee, shoving it in a direction it wasn't meant to go.

Sonic screamed in pain as he slumped to the pavement. Trying to move his injured leg only resulted in more agony. His greatest asset, his speed, had been taken from him, “You broke my fucking knee!” he grimaced.

Shadow dragged Sonic forward by the neck, until their noses were almost touching, “There are 215 bones in your body,” he hissed, shaking in rage, “That’s one.”

"Oh, no..." Amy gasped. She felt helpless all over again. Nobody was staring at her, half-naked though she was. They were all either running away, or staring at the dreadful fight going on in the middle of the street, "Shadow, stop!" she shouted, "You've won!" Neither of them was listening.

“You don’t deserve Amy,” Sonic snarled at Shadow, “She’s way too good for a bastard like you.”

“That’s more true than you know,” Shadow growled, staring into Sonic’s eyes, “But she’s ten thousand times too good for a rapist like you!” he spat at him. He drew his fist back, preparing to give the blue hedgehog the beating of a lifetime. He wasn’t sure if he was going to kill Sonic. He’d decide when he got to that point.

Sonic knew he was beaten. Without the ability to move on his feet, he didn't stand a chance. As he groaned in misery, his hand touched a possible solution lying on the ground. He didn't think of the damage he could cause, only the victory he needed, as he clutched the piece of broken glass tightly and it sliced into the palm of his hand. Sonic ignored the pain, cried out in rage, and thrust the makeshift blade deep into the black hedgehog's stomach. Shadow's eyes widened in shock as he dropped Sonic and stepped backwards, clutching at the huge gash across his belly. He gasped in pain as he fell to his knees, his dark blood splattering on the pavement.

Sonic narrowed his eyes, and lifted the bloody shard for another stab.

"GIRL CRUSH!" Amy screamed, and her Piko Piko Hammer slammed into his body with such force that he was knocked into the wall - across the street - and into unconciousness. She caught Shadow, just before his head hit the pavement, and looked up at the few pedestrians that were daring to return, "What are you waiting for?!" she screamed at them, "Somebody call a fucking ambulance!"

"Uh... Amy..." Shadow whispered as she lowered him to the ground. He shivered, feeling a deep chill run through him as his body started to go into shock, "I wasn't there... I‘m so sorry..."

Amy tried to remember the training she'd done when she'd wanted to be a nurse, "It's okay, Shadow," she said, and began rubbing his chest and arms to try and keep him warm, "It's okay, it's not your fault, you've nothing to be sorry for." Keep him talking, keep him awake! the voice inside her head commanded her.

“I…” Shadow looked at his gloved hand, now stained with blood as crimson as the stripes on his quills. His eyes wandered around to look at the damage he had caused. Then he did something he'd never done before - he started to cry, very quietly, "I'm better than this..." he struggled to speak, "You've got to believe me, Amy... I'm better than this..."

"I believe you, Shadow, I believe you," Amy assured him, "I love you, remember?" She tore a strip from her uniform and tried to stem the bleeding. The cloth was soaked in blood in seconds. She knew she was going to panic herself in a moment. She forced herself to stay calm for his sake, still trying to keep him warm.

"I... love you, too..." he whispered, his body still shivering as blood pooled under him. His gaze started to lose its focus, looking through her rather than at her, "Oh... Maria?" he asked quietly as he looked at the sky. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he groaned, his breath leaving him in a shuddering sigh.

"NO!" Amy screamed, and without even hesitating, bent forward and pressed her lips to his, forming a tight seal around his mouth and breathing into him. One hand rubbing over his heart, she could feel it still beating - faintly. But he wasn’t breathing.

Breathe in, wait one, two, three. Breathe in, wait one, two, three. Breathe in, wait one, two, three, and never give up - no, not for him. She could hear the ambulance's wail approaching, she couldn't let him go now…

Breathe in, wait one, two, three. Breathe in, wait one, two, three. Breathe in, wait one, two-

Shadow coughed and drew a shaky breath, blinking slowly, "Maria..." he groaned, reaching for her hand and giving it a weak squeeze, “Maria… Come back… I…” His gaze refocused slightly, and he looked her in the eye, grimacing with the pain, "Amy... why…" he began to gasp for breath as pain ravaged his body again, “Oh gods…”

Amy tore another strip from the remains of her uniform and pressed it to his stomach again, still holding him close, "Hang on, Shadow," she pleaded with him, "Please hang on!"

Shadow gasped in pain and looked over to see the ambulance come to a stop, the drivers getting out and rushing over with a stretcher. He reached up and caressed Amy's cheek, "I'm not… going anywhere... I promise…"

"Oh, thank god..." Amy stayed close by him as the paramedics loaded him onto a stretcher, and then she got into the ambulance with him. One of the paramedics was about to protest when he saw the look on her face. The deeply unconscious Sonic was being loaded in too, "I love you, Shadow. Never forget that," she told him, holding his hand tightly.

~~~

Froggy: End Of Chapter Thirteen! Name the four reasons we said ‘Preg’!

Harley: And over on fanfiction.crap, someone seems to be ripping off our work with a fanfic imaginatively titled ‘Amy’s New Lover’. Shadow. Who meets her in the rain, takes her home, is invited in, dries himself with a towel and they start falling in love. Which is highly suspicious.

Froggy: It’s by a 12 year old who has removed all the sex and any real emotion, and is claiming it as their own. It sucks now, and they’re STILL getting good reviews. CJ Cheetah gets a mention for noticing them, though I don’t know they would have if I hadn’t first.