Bitey

Mild Succession spoiler alert!

Okay so I’m obsessed with Succession, and last weeks episode when Shiv and Tom played Bitey I was literally screaming at my tv. 😳

If you don’t watch the show all you need to know is two very complicated characters (each with a lot of individual power) are navigating a shitty divorce and a death in the family (omg the feeeeeeeelings) and instead of talking about all of these feelings one spontaneously challenges the other (at a public event!) to play a game where they bite each others arm at the same time, and the first one to give up loses.

Here’s the thing, I’m obsessed with power dynamics and seeing how they play out between people. I’m also obsessed with kinks and kinky moments that are “allowed” or at least not seen as immediately deviant in public. (Sure, folks at the investors meeting might have thought it was strange to see two people locked in a biting competition, but nobody would get arrested or kicked out for this kind of public moment.) And lastly, I’m super obsessed with kinks or sexual tensions standing in for ACTUAL COMMUNICATION. The power that holds! The unfettered mindfuckery and exchange of energy! The fucking deep emotional release! Bitey is everything Tom and Shiv need between them in that very confusing moment!!!!!

So immediately after the show I went to Twitter and Tumblr looking for gifs and discourse about bitey. Naturally Tumblr was the one that came through… only Tumblr is here for this kind of specifically kinky fixations and I respect that.

Last night Max had a rare night off work and she wanted to catch up on Succession. I bit my tongue and didn’t say anything about the scene, just waited for it to happen. Shiv delivered her knife to the heart line, Max immediately pressed pause, turned to me, and said quietly “wanna play bitey?”

Friends, I was delighted. And in this moment I was reminded of precisely why I love this human to pieces. She just fucking GETS ME.

She won, which is funny because she’s not a masochist at all, she hates pain, but boy oh fucking boy is she stubborn. As for me, it felt deliciously good until it was suddenly too sharp and I had to tap out. We bickered over whose mark was deeper, I think I got her worse. We were both giddy at the stupidity of the whole thing, and the weird hotness of staring right into each others eyes as you chomp down.

Just like in Succesion, bitey turned into foreplay. We fucked and laughed and collapsed onto each other sweaty and breathless, finished watching the episode. I love being so known by her. It’s comforting.

(Now I’m considering making Bitey a slumber party game.)