#Why kidney stones form

[ivy-saurs]

good news: i had an ultrasound today and it showed that i passed the kidney stone without even realising it after i was discharged from the hospital

bad news: the scan showed that i have some more small kidney stones 😭 really hoping that those ones won't cause me as much pain

[opennwindows]

If you can, could I request BEN Drowned fluff / smut headcanons like about himself, with his headcanon age, hobbies, facts, what he is into or would like & want in a relationship, and what he would be like with a gamer girlfriend/ s/o?

If ya taking requests rn still?✨😇😊💖

Ben Drowned general + NSFW hcs

A/N: yes!! absolutely. i love getting to talk about how the pastas do their pastaing in my mind. i have so many headcanons for everyone that im excited to share!! also sorry i forgot to include the gamer gf part but i don't think it would change a lot of what i wrote!!

btw sorry for fucking dying i have been busy 😭😭 but no one worry i will still continue to work on requests!! if anyone has any marble hornets stuff they wanna request i will zoom you to the front of the queue so fucking quick. anyways enough of me yapping.

cw: 18+ nsfw, toxic relationships, crying kink,

GENERAL

ben is mentally and physically 22, but he can be quite emotionally immature at times. when he died he never stopped growing and maturing, his soul was just stuck in limbo. think like the worst waiting room ever.

he's surprisingly tall, standing at about 5'9. he's lanky but not bone thin. could easily get pretty far in a fight without his ghost powers.

the link costume only appears when he’s in his ghost form. so for example, when he’s messing with someone on their computer he’ll appear as the canon BEN we’re most familiar with. when he’s just chilling in his physical body, he mostly wears beat up hoodies and sweatpants.

contrary to popular belief, ben's not the hardcore gamer everyone thinks he is. sure, he'll play some overwatch or whatever when he's bored but he honestly just prefers to watch tv and browse the internet. understandably REFUSES to play any zelda games. if you were trapped in a video game for decades would you ever wanna touch it again? exactly.

ben loves to draw little comics and troll (see: horrifically traumatize) people online. god forbid you get into twitter beef with this man because he will crawl through your monitor at 3am and leave you with a crippling fear of technology. dude thinks it's absolutely hilarious. a true knee slapper.

lowkey has a sugar addiction. will slam down 4 cans of pepsi in one sitting. he's very lucky that he's basically a ghost because the kidney stones would be plentiful.

ROMANTIC

you know that guy with the blown out speakers in his car, lives off of energy drinks and burnt blue razz ice elfbars, swears aphex twin is the modern mozart and works on the grill at your local wendy’s? yeah thats ben. or at least would be him if he was still human.

“why would you need a chair, my lap is literally right here babe.”

would absolutely wear your skin if given the opportunity. not in a weird way. he’s just EXTREMELY touchy.

he needs someone who is significantly more organized and motivated than him. he can go almost a week without showering and it should honestly be considered biological warfare when he tries to smother you with affection during these episodes.

after awhile of you guys dating he LOVES the idea of y’all showering together. he has a fear of water and while showers aren’t too much of a trigger, your presence helps ease his anxiety.

favorite pet names: bro, dude, dawg, babe, bitch (non derogatory)

not really a romantic but he tries his best. a perfect date for him is just getting some takeout, watching youtube, talking about stupid shit and play fighting. if you want something more traditional or extravagant then he’ll oblige to make you happy but those types of dates make him feel quite suffocated and nervous. try to save those for special occasions.

now let’s talk about his problems because just like the other creeps he is ANGSTY.

he’s probably the most emotionally stable and healthiest of the group but he definitely still has his toxic traits, after all this man is a ghost that mentally tortures and kills his victims through manipulation.

ben would never ever get physical with his partner no matter how enraged he is but he absolutely is the type to do some mental damage when he gets carried away. ben drowned? more like ben gaslighted.

the type to say some shit that would keep you up for years and then kiss you the next morning like the argument never happened. he finds it easier to ignore problems than to actively talk and fix them. you’re gonna have to teach him some important communication skills or else you’ll grow to resent him after all the bottled up rage.

a bit too brutally honest and blunt for his own good so if you have thin skin the relationship would fall apart pretty quickly. he wants someone who can drag him twice as hard as he dragged you. bonus points if your insults are consistently funny as hell.

please watch anime with him and discuss it. he would propose on the spot, especially if you play with his hair.

pro player tip: if you want him to clean his disgusting room, help him and make it fun! he just needs a little push and motivation at times. and being around you makes him want to get his shit together.

big fan of late night make-out sessions. i’m talking like 45 minutes straight of just slobbering on each other’s faces with tongues down throats. if you don’t want his hands running over every inch of your body then you’ll probably have to chain him to the wall.

NSFW

okay. so he’s a little inexperienced with his hands. he’s just a slow learner. be vocal with him about what you like!!

ben's about 7inches and slightly skinnier than average but he will have you seeing stars in record time. the dick game is no joke. he tends to go fast and deep most times.

i can see him being a switch in the idgaf-as-long-as-i’m-fucking way. dude will go with the flow and will try mostly anything.

definitely one of the least aggressive pastas during sex. he has sadistic tendencies but he’s more of a edge/overstimulate you until you cry versus a beat the shit out of you and rip hair out of your scalp type. he’s pretty vanilla given his occupation.

despite his love of roasting the fuck out of you on a daily basis, the only words that come out of this man’s mouth is heavenly praise. he looks at you like you’re the most gorgeous being on the planet and he’ll let you know it.

he loves to whisper praises into your ear while you ride him.

he's more of a receiver than a giver when it comes to oral. he'll absolutely spend hours between your legs if given the chance but nothing beats the sight of you on your knees and teary eyed with his length in your mouth.

he can be a bit of a head pusher but just let him face-fuck you every now and then, hearing his loud moans will be worth it.

did i mention how much of a crying kink this man has? you guys could be on round three and if he stares at your teary eyed fucked-out face for longer than 10 seconds he'll immediately get hard again. you'll have to beg him to give your poor body a break.

he's also into choking but only if he's the one doing it. if you try to restrict his breathing he'll panic and the mood would get ruined.

[scientia-rex]

Good morning! I have a question. When I look up info about vitamin D, I come across many claims that people generally don't get enough of it. In a recent episode of Maintenance Phase, however, the hosts called it a "scam" or overblown, at least (I don't remember the exact wording). So, like, what's the deal with vitamin D? Do Americans get enough of it?

Probably, mostly. At the very least, people should be tested before starting repletion. It probably has a role in osteoporosis treatment and prevention, BUT how much to take and what form and when is HOTLY debated and frequently conclusions are changing.

Just to take you on a spin through the most recent Cochrane reviews (THESE ARE NOT SINGLE STUDIES, in case any of the research-naive out there want to get pissy about them; look up what a Cochrane review actually is before trying to shit on it; also note that I did NOT say this will cover every fucking person and every hypothetical they can come up with, jesus CHRIST):

No role for vitamin D in asthma

Insufficient evidence to recommend it in sickle cell

Raising vitamin D levels in cystic fibrosis patients is not beneficial

No evidence of benefit of vitamin D in MS

Supplementing vitamin D in pregnancy may have small benefits but also risk of harms

No clinically significant benefit from vitamin D supplementation in chronic pain

Insufficient data on vitamin D in inflammatory bowel disease, but no evidence of benefit

No evidence of benefit of vitamin D supplementation in liver disease

Vitamin D does not appear to prevent cancer in general population

No evidence for benefit in supplementation of vitamin D in premenopausal women to prevent bone density loss

Possible small mortality benefit of D3, but not D2, in elderly patients, but also increased risk of kidney stones and hypercalcemia

Vitamin D alone ineffective, but combined with calcium may be effective, in preventing bone fractures in older adults

Insufficient evidence for vitamin D improving COVID-19 outcomes

Now, vitamin D plus calcium in people who have post-menopausal bone density loss does seem to prevent fractures. This is why doctors routinely recommend it. However, dosage and formulation are still debated as data are insufficient, and uncertainty still large.

So, do you need to supplement? Probably not. There is some fairly weak evidence that vitamin D supplementation may help with depression, but I would argue that it's going to be most relevant in people with pre-existing deficiencies, which Medicare is just hellbent on not letting me test for anymore. They've narrowed the coverage codes for testing so now even know vitamin D deficiency isn't considered a good enough reason to test. So Medicare has very clearly decided it's not relevant, for whatever that's worth, I spit on their graves, etc. Of course, then you get into the question of what counts as a deficiency, which we also really don't know.

And to be clear, I wasn't looking through the Cochrane review results with an angle--those are most of the first page of search results on their site, with the only one skipped being similar to another one I mentioned, and I stopped when I got bored. These should not be paywalled, as I am not logged into anything and I can read it all, so try clicking the side menu on the right if you have trouble getting into the weeds.

If anything, running through this little exercise has made me less likely to recommend vitamin D supplementation, so do with that what you will.

[eccentric-nucleus]

rl medical stuff

anyway so last june i ended up going to the ER for intense abdominal pain, which had been slowly building for a few days before spiking. they did a CT scan and were like, 'okay you have gallstones!', which lead to me learning a lot about how the gallbladder works.

my first assumption was like, kidney stone, gallstone, basically same thing, right? they form under some kinda condition and get stuck in there and then they dilate a tube and then the stone comes out and that's it.

that is not how gallstones work. the deal with gallstones (as i have discovered) is that plenty of people have gallstones and they have absolutely no symptoms their entire life and it's fine. but once somebody has a symptomatic gallstone, they're probably (statistically speaking) going to continue having gallstone symptoms for the rest of their life.

bile flows from the liver into the gallbladder and then the gallbladder squeezes and pushes the bile into your guts in sync with your stomach emptying into your guts. a 'gallbladder attack' is when a gallstone moves around to press against the opening to the gallbladder, or pass through and get wedged in the bilary duct, which is excruciatingly painful and can be potentially lethal if the stone makes bile back up into the liver. a gallbladder attack is just like, really intense unavoidable abdominal pain that lasts somewhere between a few minutes and like four hours. they're not pleasant.

apparently there's not a lot of knowledge about why these happen? or like, it could be an interaction between many things: maybe your bile isn't acidic enough; maybe your gallbladder is bad at squeezing; maybe your cholesterol is real high so there's way too much bile. maybe your gallbladder is just shaped weird and this predisposes you towards having symptomatic gallstones. etc. but there's not an enormous amount of study about figuring out & determining interventions for all the various causes of gallstones, b/c the main recommendation is just to scoop out the gallbladder. it's not really a critical organ!

so after the gallbladder is out you just have small volumes of bile constantly running into your guts 24/7. now it's harder for gallstones to form, because your bile isn't sitting around anywhere for long periods of time. it's a surgery that's 'well tolerated', as in it doesn't really have any immediately-obvious side effects (save for the small percentage of people who post on /r/gallbladders about how their gallbladder surgery has ruined their lives forever, which does happen).

my concern has been more like, every time there's an organ that causes problems sometimes and doctors are like 'this is non-critical so you can just pop that out' it turns out there's a bunch of complicated second-order effects from having it out, a la tonsils or appendices or whatever. and there's some studies showing that there might be a similar thing with gallbladder removal raising your risk for various liver and colon issues.

anyway, so that was all last june! i had intermittent gallbladder attacks after that, but they mostly cooled down until, uh, earlier this month, when i had two like, 10/10 on the pain scale gallbladder attacks back-to-back, followed by all the symptoms of a bilary duct blockage. it ended up being like ~36 hours or so after the attack before i went to the ER, where they were like "oh hey we have no sign of a gallstone in your gallbladder or blocking your ducts", so i guess sometime in that period i did end up passing, uh, whatever gallstones i had in my gallbladder. instead i had some "sludge" (the medical term) in there. (and in fact sludge might act as seed crystals to form more gallstones, hence why they tend to come back. a bit of a gallstone sticks around and introduces a structure for bile to more easily crystallize again. etc) but my liver did not like being blocked for that time so it took like two weeks for my liver enzyme numbers to look okay again. you don't want a doctor to tell you that your ALP values are 'impressively high'. but they did go back down, so that's something at least.

anyway, so now i'm debating between which set of medical risks i want to have for the rest of my life!! so that's fun. we'll see how things go. but that has been the thing occupying me mentally during my free time lately. aaaah.

[dailycharacteroption]

Resonating Biohack Biohacker (Biohacker Alternate Class Feature)

Sound is a funny thing when it comes to medicine, having many different applications, everything from therapeutic vibrations to ultrasound scans to using a sonic device to break up things like kidney stones.

But for a crystalline creature, sound can often be much more than that due to the way that their structures resonate, which is why today’s subject was canonically invented by the urog.

Indeed, given their silicon-based nature, it can sometimes be hard to inject medicines directly into their bodies, so urog doctors developed ways to transfer medicines through hypersonic frequencies, a practice that they and those they train carry over into affecting other creatures.

Now, there is some credence to this. Jet injectors, for example, propel medicine at such force that it penetrates the skin without needing a needle. However, the flavor of the class suggests that what the practitioner is doing is instead vibrating the bodies of their subject in such a way as to induce various changes in their bodies, despite the fact that they often are still consuming a physical resource. Perhaps it’s a bit of both, then, with daily uses of boosters and inhibitors being resonation-based while those with an actual price tag are injected.

Either way, the result is a variant of biohacker that utilizes sonic weapons instead of various forms of syringe-launchers. So let’s see what they’ve got.

Rather than use injection weapons, these doctors instead use sonic weapons, able to use them to deliver their payloads of serums and the like through vibrationary force and resonance. Of course they still gain the advantages that other biohackers do with their weaponry, able to inject foes at a distance without injuring them. Additionally, if bereft of such weaponry, they can still deliver their biohacks with a sonic pad in their toolkit or a ranged sonic burst.

While relatively simple, this alternate feature does offer greater damage with sonic weapons and a way for them to target EAC instead of the generally tougher KAC. However, sonic weapons aren’t exactly subtle, making them less useful for stealth. However, if the aesthetic vibes with you, by all means go for it.

There isn’t a whole lot to differentiate how you roleplay these biohackers compared to traditional ones, especially since they are both well known for experimental treatments despite them being flavored different ways. That flavoring, what with their inhibitors and boosters being resonant in nature, can make for interesting descriptions though, I suppose.

The Tournament of Might, a competition where combatants of all stripes face off, has suddenly ground to a halt when one of the medics making sure that competitors do not die or face permanent injury is found dead, murdered with their own sonic therapy glove (actually a modified pulse gauntlet), but who could have wanted a medic dead and why?

With their fierce warrior culture, it can be hard to imagine tromlin bloodseekers in a medicine role, but someone has to tend to the needs of their allies, and one such person is Baklas, a rather level-headed member of their species. They could be a useful contact among a people that would rather fight than talk.

In the farthest reaches of that galaxy are ancient remnants of the yithian culture, including some of their greatest innovations. One such tool is a device that far surpasses any sonic medicine practiced today. Acquiring one of these items means braving such ruins, or finding the current unscrupulous owner.

[watchingthegregoryandjamesshow]

S1:E3 Occam’s razor

Okay first of all, what did I just watch? A guy is coughing, and than He and this girl start banging and than one of them passes out,

Woohoo! Here comes Greg and James!

James and the giant peach is like, “So there’s a person in the emergency room.” (The guy form earlier) and Greg Heffley is like “Alright.”

James: How was that so easy? Gregory: You know why ;)

James: Blood pressures not responding to IV fluids? Gregory: Yeh

James: *Smiles*

Gregory: That’s just WEIRD.

(What does this even mean? 😭)

So the House named Greg says “This guy has too many symptoms.”

He shows the other docs all the symptoms the guy has on a whiteboard.

The girl doc with a pony tail is like, “No condition accounts for all the symptoms.”

and Greggy goes, “Oh good, I thought he was sick, but it turns out he’s not!” Than says they need to treat the guy with a bunch of big doctor words I do not understand.

So now it cuts to a scene where the kid is coughing up a storm, his girlfriend is like, “Stop testing him, start treating him!” A doc says “Erm, actually we need to test him before he make him better sooo….”

Then Greg house guy introduces himself to a waiting room full of people, and says “Hi, I’m stoned, who wants me?” And then proceeds to look at the people like this….

Then the guys girlfriend goes up to the Australia doctor and says, “did I give that guy this sickness?? Me and that guy were having sex, and I was very rough.” And he looks at her, very concerned.

So now a lady is with Greg and says, “My mucus was pale golden rod a week ago, and I don’t like being told what to do.” Greg says “We’ll do a full body scan later this week.”

so than the Australia doctor, says to two other docs “That girl thinks she rode him to death.” and the girl doc says, “I hope you got some specifics! If she thinks it could kill him, It’s worth knowing about.”

and he goes “have you ever taken a life??”

Then the other guy Doc goes, “THERES FLUID FILLING HIS LUNGS, HIS KIDNEYS ARE SHUTTING DOWN!”

*Super epic realistic blood cell CGI*

“Our treatment isn’t making him better. it’s killing him.” *Dunn Dunn duuuuuunnn*

Gregory tells a guy he thinks his tie is ugly

The patient Guy’s parents arrive. He tells his parents “Hi. This is my fiancé.” And shows them the girl who Rode him to death.

The tests show the antibiotics didn't cause the kidney failure. Greg tells them the patient is getting better.

Greg is with a patient, but he’s busy playing on his game boy. ”My THRoAT HUrTS.” Says the patient

“Yeah, so you said.” Greg rolls his eyes. “HoW LOng Do I HAVE to WaIT?” ”Two minutes less than when you asked me two minutes ago.” 🙄

Australia is pouring coffee, but spills some because he was staring at the doc girl. Then she starts talking to him in very very graphic detail about talking about what sex does to the human body. “Did you know That WomEn Can HaVE An HoUR lOnG OrgASM?” Australia man just stares at her.

than this just happens:

Greggy boi meets with the family. He accuses them of giving the patient the "cough medicine" (He thinks the patient was taking an illegal drug instead of cough medicine) after he arrived at the hospital. The mother admits to it and finds the medicine bottle. Australian doc goes to the pharmacy. The guys mom says “Yas, those are the SAME pills I gave my son.” It turns out they did give the patient the cough medicine after all not illegal drugs.

Gregory says,

“I was not wrong everything I said was true, it fit! It was elegant!”

James: “so reality was wrong?”

“Reality is almost always wrong.” Greg says before he downs a ton of pills.

They start to prepare the patient for surgery. Then the patient goes crazy, and almost dies, They get his heart started again, But, they have to cancel the surgery. The patient now also has pain in his fingers. A doc guy tells Greggory, and he starts thinking of something.

Greggy goes into the clean room without preparation. He still thinks the patient was poisoned because of a new symptom, the guy is losing hair 🫨He thinks the kid has been using illegal drugs contaminated with Colchicine and orders treatment. The patient starts getting better.

But Gregory is STILL not satisfied - he still can't figure out the source of the poisoning. the patient guy starts coughing again. They give him cough pills, and he realizes they aren't the same as the old pills he was taking; the new pills have the letter "L" on them but the other pills did not.

Australia says to girl “wanna get some food?” but she cuts him off right away and says “Nah.”

It ends with a scene showing Greggy Pooh in the pharmacy after hours, he’s sitting on the floor searching through the bottles. He holds two similar-looking pills, they both have the same shape, only one has writing on it and one does not. He smirks, He was RIGHT. *happy music 🎉🎊🎉🎉🎊🎊🎉*

This show is the bomb.com guys 💯 🔥

[kryptickiss]

frank x ana/joey ramble

sooooooo. i watched 'Abigail' (great movie, i recommend if u like a tiny vampire child murder a group of adults and a bunch of chaos :D) and i've been thinking of a tiny thought of the ending, or at least the near ending with frank attempting to turn joey/ana into a vampire and mind control her (practically foaming at the mouth pls--)

so here's me rambling about the end i wished was real, or at least a thought concept;

❝ Frank's successful in turning Joey into a vampire. (i always liked to think the two had some sort of chemistry together in a sort of enemies and lovers type shit bc the looks they be giving each other. like how when lambert had joey by her neck and she's looking at frank to not give in, help her, and then the look frank gives her as he's thinking about what she's thinking but decides to say fuck it and just go on and let himself be born anew).

The wounds Frank created, that little stab on her shoulder, the bite on her neck. They fade, her skin is free of any sort of blemishes. She's convulsing slightly as she tries to breathe. (if this WAS the ending, i'd like to think Frank thought he fucked up something somehow. like shit, was he supposed to just bite her longer or something? y'know a silent inner panic that's only shown in his eyes as he leans down to her, nudging her convulsing body with her foot as she looks at him with fear in her eyes. something along the lines of a plead for help because she can't get air into her lungs and the little air she is getting she's calling out for his name and maybe a 'help' here and there).

His voice echoes into her mind. "Joey." is all he'd say in her mind until she finally stops. When she stops, her eyes are reflective like a mirror. Pretty, Frank would think. Gorgeous, is when he sees that her mind is blank. (Frank has a God Complex i'm pretty sure bc he's controlling and dominant and somewhat of an asshole when he wants power, so when he sees Ana pretty much mindless, i'd like to think he's into that because even though -- and pls have me be delusional when i think this -- he has a SLIGHT and when i say SLIGHT i mean it's like... a tiny dot like a kidney stone of a soft spot for her bc hell, she saved his ass and pretty much stayed with him throughout this shitty night).

"You're mine." Joey would have her morals twisted, her personality is slightly the same as Frank's except she doesn't have his God Complex (if he does have one, may i add) but she views him as a God. He gave her new life, her mind is empty. She understands that this is wrong, to all Gods this is fucked up to the third degree, but she doesn't care because it feels good. It's wrong, but it's right in her now messy, mindbroken mentality. (i have a headcanon when Sammy was turned into a puppet for Abigail, she seemed more into doing what Abigail wants. which is to kill everyone, which is the reason why she lured Joey and Frank there. yeah, she's under Abigail's control, but like, she's also fixated on Abigail because Abigail is her God(dess) and she wants to serve her. so basically; turned into a vampire puppet, be mindless, still have your form of identity and personality. they're just twisted).

Frank gets Joey to kill Abigail. "Frank says, kill her." And for the sake of simplicity because Istg these people forgot her dad was coming, they got out before Kristoff came. Joey's stuck being under Frank's control, but it's not like she cares at this point because it's so much more better than the shit she was before. ❞

im still mad that this didn't happen but eh. the endings still cool tho.

[sgiandubh]

Lionsgate/*** quarter call - not so good as it seems

While I am still fumbling around with the strike's aftermath, let me just quickly say a word or two about ***'s last quarter call, yesterday. Nobody does it as @cb4tb, but FWIW, here goes:

I should immediately say I could not watch the replay on the link provided by the initial press release (here: https://investors.lionsgate.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2023/10-19-2023-140125017), despite my total good will to take one for the team, go to bed early and wake-up at ungodly hours. I have no idea why - maybe access is somehow limited? I would never know, I had no 403 error in my browser, so... 🤷‍♀️. Instead, I could peruse the paper version of the standard Company Quarterly Report (US SEC Form 10-Q), along with some scarce press comments, for a bit of context.

The document is damn long (94 pages) and it reads exactly like I presumed: a kidney stone would be easier to pass (https://investors.lionsgate.com/financial-reports/sec-filings). It's perhaps worth for this phrase alone (on page 43), which really made me stop in my tracks:

At the time of the document's public release, it is technically true and accurate that the tentative deal between AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA still has to be approved by the union's members. However, given the horrendous impact of the strike on almost all things Hollywood and California, for that matter (more on this in a separate post), it's more than likely the deal will hold. The rest is dire: more slashing of content to come, 'if the Company is unable to efficiently complete the production of the film, TV show or program or decides to abandon the production'.

While this does not seem to affect Season 8, this could (I repeat: could) mean that: a) BOMB is gone and b) MIK3 is no longer a priority (the fact that MIK 2, as OL, was listed among the last quarter premieres is not a guarantee it will be continued - not the same amplitude as OL). If so, Season 8 might start shooting as soon as January 2024, since it already has all the needed infrastructure and staff readily available at Cumbernauld (yes, Mordor, the peasant you all love to hate managed perhaps to save the day again!). So OL is doing ok on that side, unlike other productions of other studios, who reportedly started a mad scramble for location scouting and staff recruiting, just before the festive season - that is a big competitive advantage and one of the main reasons I believe it's still entirely possible to pull it off.

The 'thriving' future (according to Feltheimer, that genius 🙄) of *** as a standalone company is still something we severely lack data on, as Lionsgate kept its commitment to go on with the acquisition of Entertainment One (you know, the Peppa Pig people), for a mere 375 million USD, to be completed by January 31, 2024. At the same time, *** is not the only actor on the US media & tech market to proceed to lay-offs and it seems to fare better than many, as I already supposed and told you:

(Sourced at: https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/starz-layoffs-exit-uk-australia-lionsgate-1235779627/).

Something to be closely monitored in the upcoming weeks. I think it's going to be worth it. Sorry for not bringing any sensational content today and I know it's dull and probably uninteresting AF, but it's there and it has to be taken into account, for sure. So yes, 'not as good as it seems' (profit is now mainly driven by motion picture, not television production), but not as bad as expected by the prophets of doom across the street, who - as usually - have no damn idea of what they are talking about.

[ayushleaf]

10 Reasons Why Water Is more important for a Healthy Lifestyle

Here is Why Drinking Water is More Important for Your Immune System?

Hydration: Staying hydrated is fundamental for the proper functioning of every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. Water helps maintain the balance of bodily fluids, which is necessary for digestion, circulation, absorption, and transportation of nutrients.

Temperature Regulation: Water helps regulate body temperature through processes like sweating. When you’re active or in a hot environment, your body sweats to cool down, and water loss can lead to dehydration and overheating.

Digestion and Nutrient Absorption: Water is essential for breaking down food in the digestive tract and facilitating the absorption of nutrients. It aids in the movement of food through the intestines and supports proper bowel function.

Circulation: Blood is primarily composed of water. Proper hydration ensures adequate blood volume, which in turn supports efficient circulation, oxygen delivery, and nutrient transport to cells.

Joint Lubrication: Adequate hydration helps keep the synovial fluid in joints viscous, which lubricates and cushions the joints, reducing the risk of joint pain and injury.

Kidney Function: Benefits of drinking water for the proper functioning of the kidneys, which filter waste products and excess substances from the blood to form urine. Staying hydrated helps prevent kidney stones and urinary tract infections.

Skin Health: Hydration contributes to maintaining healthy skin. Proper hydration can improve skin elasticity, moisture, and appearance.

Energy and Cognitive Function: Dehydration can lead to fatigue, reduced energy levels, and impaired cognitive function. Drinking enough water helps you stay alert and focused throughout the day.

Detoxification: Water aids in the elimination of waste products and toxins from the body through urine, sweat, and other processes.

Weight Management: Drinking water before meals can help you feel fuller, potentially leading to consuming fewer calories and aiding in weight management.

Prevention of Dehydration: Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it takes in. Severe dehydration can have serious health consequences, so maintaining proper fluid balance is crucial.

Exercise Performance: Adequate hydration improves exercise performance by maintaining electrolyte balance, preventing cramps, and enhancing endurance.

Heart Health: Staying hydrated supports cardiovascular health by maintaining blood volume and preventing blood from becoming too viscous.

Preventing Headaches: Dehydration can lead to headaches and migraines in some individuals. Health benefits of water may help reduce the frequency and severity of these symptoms.

To maintain good health and prevent dehydration, it’s important to drink an adequate amount of water throughout the day. The recommended daily intake varies depending on factors like age, sex, activity level, and climate, but a general guideline is to aim for around 8 glasses (8 ounces each) of water per day. However, individual needs may vary, so pay attention to your body’s signals and adjust your fluid intake accordingly.

[mwolf0epsilon]

Shower Thoughts & Discussions

Summary: After sustaining an injury that limits their range of movement temporarily, Sponge decides to ask Geoduck for a very personal favour. Some things come to light and now Gooey's certain that the guilt of alienating his sibling will never go away.

Warnings: Discussions of mistreatment of intersex people and non-consensual body modifications, vague mentions of nudity and sex.

[Was about time Geoduck found out the extent of Sponge's mistreatment at the hands of the Kaminoans and Trainers. It's not an easy topic and it's one that leaves him reeling, but it was a very important step in the right direction to mend Sponge's and Geoduck's ruined relationship as siblings.]

---

It takes even longer for Sponge to finally explain why they were taken out of Scuba Training to begin with. Unfortunately it's a conversation that happens purely out of necessity rather than spontaneously. And, once that threshold is well behind them, the sinking feeling in Geoduck's gut that had been steadily growing turns into a proper sort of pain. Like passing a particularly stubborn kidney stone that won't go without an excruciating fight.

Since day one of being in their care, the little offhanded remarks had made him nervous whenever he caught on to them. The ones that implied Sponge had some form of unaddressed medical trauma of their own that they didn't necessarily hide, but that most others didn't really seem all aware of.

Or perhaps the rest of their battalion was just too polite to question them on it? Like some sort of unspoken oath? Whatever the case, the clear shame and discomfort of topics relating to nudity were the thing that gave it away.

But to hear it from their mouth? It put things into perspective...

All clones were raised communally. Knew each other's bodies top to bottom by mere fact that they were identical, and because you inevitably saw a naked vod either in the shower or getting dressed in the locker room. The logistics behind their heavily scheduled lives made privacy a rare luxury that only high ranking officers got to have, so every one of them learned very early on to accept open nudity between them.

They were so comfortable with it, in fact, that sometimes the particularly bold liked to show off scars they'd acquired in missions, as if they were medals to be proud of and flaunted. Others liked to show off their tattoos. Cosmetic things that set them apart as individuals, like haircuts and hair-dyeing, contact lenses, piercings and other such changes that most clones eagerly partook in to set their own unique styles.

From what Geoduck had witnessed since becoming their patient, Sponge detested that sort of exhibitionism. Absolutely abhorred whenever they had to ask anyone to undress for this or that standard procedure. They clearly didn't like staring at vode in any sort of state of undress, and in retrospect it kind of made sense after Geoduck learned just why that was.

After all, a visual comparison was a stark reminder of just why they'd ended up where they had. Of why they were isolated from their batch. How the way their body had formed would always set them apart from everyone else. And knowing the rest of it only made Geoduck feel worse about his part in extending that trauma.

Perspective and context were inseparable brothers in arms.

The reason why they tell him is due to an injury that leaves them with a temporarily limited range of movement. Nothing to write home about, since there are no broken bones nor muscle tearing involved. And, as easily recoverable after a dip in bacta as a dislocated arm and badly bruised back were, the medic had still opted for a few weeks of rest and a splint instead.

A mission gone south had left the 501st with several wounded vode that needed the tanks way more than they did, and Sponge was not one to put their health above anyone else's. Typical of medics. They would prefer to suffer through a slower recovery process if it meant their patients were well tended to, and left with little to no alteration of their quality of life or usefulness in the field.

The Jedi may have put an end to decommissionings, but Sponge (like most medics) did not trust the Kaminoans not to try something funny if the 501st was forced to send back troopers who'd been significantly crippled. They always did everything in their power to make sure that a trip to Kamino was their very last resort. Something Coric seemed to help them with, being a veteran medic and the acting CMO.

For the most part Sponge did not need help getting around, even when they only had their non-dominant arm and hand at their disposal. And, when they did need some assistance, Beautiful helped them out with most things. She was a very intelligent service beast after all, and knew the difference between quite a lot of objects as well as their names. She couldn't, however, wash her master's back...

Which is why Geoduck was now trying not to throw up as Sponge told them the absolute ethical abomination that had been their treatment on Kamino. The things the long-necks and trainers had subjected them to. The lifelong feelings of wrongness in their own skin. The longing for someone they could confide in without fear of being seen as something other. Of being seen as some kind of disgusting mistake.

He couldn't even begin to understand just what that might feel like. To live among several hundreds of others who were almost exactly like you, except for one small thing. And yet that small thing still got them into a whole lot of trouble and grief...

The two of them are alone in the showers. Both sitting on two very stiff plastic stools that had been requisitioned for this particular task. While Sponge's injuries did not extend to their legs, it was apparently unwise for them to stand for too long. So the stool were a necessity despite not providing much comfort.

The medic could wash up fairly well on their own (which made things much less awkward for the two of them in the end), but reaching their back was a technical impossibility at the moment. That chore was left to Geoduck who took the opportunity to quickly shower himself (allowing Sponge the necessary time to wash themselves without feeling scrutinized), before settling down to help his sibling.

His eyes had very briefly landed on the very noticeable discrepancy of his sibling's anatomy, before shied away completely in embarrassment. He'd felt his ears heating up and his heart-rate quicken with slight guilt when he'd seen the obvious discomfort in Sponge's eyes after the fleeting slip-up.

And then as he silently began to lather the wounded medic's back in soap, they'd just started talking. What they had to say was not pleasant in any way, and made his slight mistake all the more difficult for him to let go of.

"They used to make me undress for a crowd of training medics...Said it'd be useful to study my 'anomalous anatomy' if they ever found themselves in the presence of beings like me out in the field..." Sponge snorted, refusing to meet his eye as he helped wash their back. The bitterness behind their words was palpable. "Stopped doing that after I started... 'Developing' down there..."

They shudder and Geoduck nearly drops the loofah he's using to wash their back. The bruises still look nasty and he's scared he's accidentally pushed too hard on them. It turns out Sponge is just disgusted by the memories.

"They had to have me fixed after that day..." The word 'fixed' is spat out like it's something vile, and Geoduck suspects it very much is. No one who found themselves on an operating table on Kamino was subjected to niceties by their not so kindly hosts. "Nothing cosmetic, as you've seen... Not worth the effort since the Kaminoans didn't think I'd want to do anything after everything they put me through."

Most likely, they had hoped Sponge would come out of the ordeal sex-repulsed. From the conversations they'd had before this one... Well Geoduck knew his vod was no virgin. Seemed quite into the horizontal tango even. Their partner must be exceptionally fantastic at making them feel good too, if they're so happy to go back for seconds and thirds.

Geoduck envies them in that aspect. He wishes he had a man like that in his own life...

"But they had to make sure the 'Anomaly' didn't go out and use their very functional uterus and ovaries..." And at that the words turn less venomous and more mournful. Sponge wanted kids. Wanted biological kids. And that had been stolen from them. "I don't even know what they did... I just know they cut me open and did something... And no matter how much I try, nothing ever happens... Which shouldn't be upsetting because I'm a clone soldier and I can't expect to get leave for THAT, but... At the same time..."

The scar was there of course. Geoduck could see where they'd cut to reach what they wanted to reach. To change in his vod'ika what the long-necks had considered such a hassle.

A clone bearing children was dangerous for business, more so than them siring them, so they'd made sure it wasn't a problem for them. And Sponge was the one left to deal with the trauma of their body being violated time and time again. Of having their one biggest desire barred from them before they could even make that choice.

It wasn't fair. And worst of all, they'd had no one to turn to about it. Jelly had been cruelly ripped away from them and then their batch had turned their back on them. Geoduck had turned his back on them...

Only a few medics of the 501st knew (for health reasons) about Sponge being intesex. You could tell which of them knew just from the way Sponge seemed to gravitate towards them. Seeking attention and tactile comfort in a way they never did with any other trooper.

And yet, it was Geoduck Sponge had turned to for help with something so undeniable intimate as their hygienic habits. Geoduck who had helped to alienate them by throwing his misplaced anger at them, and allowing Conch to bully them relentlessly until all contact was cut. Geoduck who was trying to be a better brother, but who didn't quite deserve that trust just yet

"Those monsters took something valuable from you." He says, instead of asking why they're being so honest with him. Of asking why they are telling him something this big when he doubted he'd earned the right to know. "You're allowed to grieve it, Vee-Vee'ika..."

"It's not like my only valuable aspect was the damn eggs..." Sponge huffed as they vaguely gestured downwards. It takes all of his willpower not to glance downwards like he'd done before, but Geoduck manages to focus on their back. A small victory.

"I didn't say that." He sighed in exhasperation, trying not to roll his eyes at their snarky tone. "I'm just saying... It's your body. They had no right to change it just because something came out a way they didn't particularly like... Or expect... Or respect..."

"No... They didn't." They look over their shoulder at Geoduck, and they look so very tired. Burdened by something that'd likely stay in between them, their partner, and now Geoduck as well. "But what can I do, Gooey? I can't undo whatever the hell it is they did to me..."

"Hm..." And this was him being optimistic, which never worked out well for most clones. But who knew? Best to seek comfort in the fact you don't know what you don't know, than fret over the uncertainty of it. Sponge deserved hope of any kind. Or at least Geoduck thought so. "Maybe you can. Or, maybe you can at least find out what they did, as closure? Can't be that hard since you got access to any functional medbay on planet..."

"And risk getting caught on record?" Sponge snorted, rolling their eyes at the idea. "Next you'll be telling me to sign my own decomm paperwork and deliver it to the Chancellor's office while tap-dancing in clown shoes..."

"Slicers." Geoduck pointed out. Beginning to rinse the soap off his sibling's back. "One good Slicer or two must owe you a favour. What with how much the 501st gets banged up all the time... Surely doing something for a medic wouldn't hurt their reputation much."

"... Are you saying I should hack my way around the medbay safeguards?!" Sponge sounded flabbergasted.

"All I'm saying is, it's your body and what Kamino and the GAR don't know won't hurt them at all..." He got up from the uncomfortable plastic stool to get Sponge a large towel. Even though they were alone in the showers, he still wanted to make sure they were covered up for their comfort.

He didn't need to see more of them than they were comfortable with, after all.

"... You're a terrible influence." The medic muttered as they attempted to wrap themselves in the offered towel with just one arm. He only helped when he was sure they couldn't reach properly.

"I've been told I wasn't very good at keeping my kih'vode from wanting to kill each other violently..." Geoduck shrugged. "Luckily I only have one menace sibling to deal with now, the rest are semi-tame enough to be left to their own devices..."

"I can't believe Crayfish is somehow less of a menace to society than Conch..." Sponge snorted. "I think it was better when we used to try to smother each other with a pillow. At least then whatever nonsense came out of his mouth was heavily muffled."

"Can't argue with that." The Scuba trooper laughed as he brought their fresh set of grays over to where they were currently seated. Beau was still seated at the door serving as lookout, Pearl blissfully asleep next to her. "Maybe if I empty his tanks a tick, the oxygen deprivation might humble him a bit..."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

The roles swap once Sponge is done freshening up. It's back to a more professional setting, with his vod looking through some of the recent facial recognition tests he'd undergone. They seem completely at peace despite having ripped off the proverbial bandage and bled their problems out for the world to see. Or at least for Geoduck to hear and mull over...

The ache of knowing doesn't go away. Neither does the weight in his conscience.

But he does delight in one thing: Sponge trusts him. And while it doesn't fix everything, its enough for now.

[gaypiratebrainrot]

i know i am cursed bc i love porn, i've always loved porn, like, according to my own beliefs about art, porn is maybe the highest and purest form of art and we have only scratched the surface of what is possible for human creative expression through porn, and also my gift is writing so i must write porn, i have a deep compulsive need to write porn and have been doing it for many years, and the curse comes bc i hate writing sex scenes. every sex scene i write i'm like why did i do this again, this is excruciating, like extracting my own kidney stones or some shit, but then i finish and i'm like OH HEY PORN i made a porn, my favorite art!!! and the cycle repeats.

[twentydaysofdrabbles]

The Concierge Presses On (Part 50D)

"I've been waiting for this," Undyne snarls, holding her hand out to summon another golden spear. She twirls it, sinks into a combat stance, and roars, "I'm gonna rip you apart!"

"I think not," is your even reply as you whip out your gun and fire three shots right into her chest while moving swiftly towards the duelling Papyrus and Chidi. It's not going to stop her, or even wound her, but it's enough to get the monster to hesitate in charging at you. "Swap!"

Without giving you a signal that he heard you, Papyrus seizes Chidi by the collar of his suit and throws the human man into a wall. His red eye lights burn bright as he swings his masked and hooded head to a charging Undyne.

He cracks open his maw and snarls, magic thrumming in his every word as he advances on the former Captain, "I AM WHO YOU SHALL FACE!" Red magic gathers in his hands to form into a familiar shape of his bone sword.

"Papyrus?!" Undyne gasps, her fierce expression turning aghast. But as quickly as that expression formed, it changes into a fierce, hurt scowl. "Traitor!"

You jog past Papyrus to take his place fighting Chidi, watching the massive man pick himself up from the ground.

Papyrus pays you no mind as he prowls towards the former Captain, snarling, "I SERVE THE THRONE, NOT THE MONSTER WHO SITS UPON IT. YOU. YOU DISHONOUR THE TITLE OF CAPTAIN!" His voice rattles the glass and chandeliers, causing the lights to flicker too.

Already, the air between the two monsters is tense, thick, heavy with magic. You can only imagine what a clash between them would be like, and you hope that the dining room isn't completely destroyed once all is said and done.

Chidi finally gets to his feet and groans, shaking his head once. "You have one, too," he grunts, rolling his shoulders. "Fine. No more games."

You couldn't agree more.

In a flash, you draw your gun and fire at the same time Chidi does. Most shots ricochet off stone and wood and shatter glass, but a good few pepper your and Chidi's raised jacket lapels as you both split in different directions. You're not surprised that you fail to wound him, and likely he is not surprised he had the same amount of success.

This will be a close quarters fight, you think to yourself as you slide behind a flipped table, ejecting your empty magazine and sliding another in. You only have one more magazine as well as the gun you lifted off the Myrmidon earlier, but you can't blow all your ammunition on this fight. There is far more to do.

But Chidi also thrives in close combat - you have heard tell of his lightning fast kicks, how he moves a lot faster than his size belies. But if you got inside his guard...yes, that's a plan.

Patting your coat to locate your garotte - in case you need it - you flex your hands and stretch them to alleviate the slight ache from your rapid firing. The red fabric is soaked in blood, now turning tacky and sticky and providing just a little bit of resistance. The thick scent of copper is thick in your nose, but it doesn't disgust you. Not in the slightest.

Quick footsteps advance on your position at a quick clip and you know you're out of time.

Chidi rounds your cover and advances on you with his gun raised, squeezing off shots to keep you on the back foot. You rush from cover to cover, your head shielded by your coat as you weave in and out of gunfire, responding with three shots that you fire with your free hand. Your clothes might be bulletproof, but it certainly hurts.

The bruises from earlier throb in protest as you move quickly. One that borders your spine, right over where your kidney is, is particularly annoying and it twinges as you whirl around to land two precise shots to take advantage of Chidi reloading. Why the man would do this out in the open, you have no idea, but you're certainly not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It's hard to shoot accurately while moving. Even harder to account for his greater height while moving. But your aim is true. One gets him in the groin, and the other his lower belly. Non-fatal, considering the tactical weave that he wears - far more superior to that of the High Table soldiers, as your bullets fail to penetrate to the skin. But of the same quality as yours, as he howls out in pain and nearly buckles to his knees.

The Chilean somehow grits his teeth through the pain and stays on his feet. Damned pain tolerance. You don't waste the opportunity, though, and rush him.

Your gun disappears back into its holster to free your hands as you spring forward and up to slam into Chidi's upper body. Your feet find purchase on his hips. Your knees and legs squeezing his ribs and sides tight to balance and cling, squeezing a cry of pain from him as you tighten your legs. Your thumb hooks into the back of his collar and you fist his suit tightly. All to anchor yourself as you rear back with a bladed fist raised high, to try and sink your blade into his eye.

Alas, Chidi is too fast. His hands fly up. One to fist in the back of your coat, the other catch your punch before your blade can sink into his head. It's close. So, so close. Close enough that the razor sharp edge of your knife nicks just under his eyebrow.

You bare your teeth at him in a silent snarl and bear down on him with all your might, even pulling on the back of his collar to gain more leverage. The nick under his eyebrow deepens as you push the point of your blade into it, blood welling up and joining the drying streaks of blood that already colour your weapon.

But just as you cannot defeat Chidi's strength, neither can he defeat you with his. In the end, the Myrmidon elects to hurtle himself, and by extension you, into the same pillar that you had taken cover behind before.

Your back hits the stone hard, hard enough to knock the wind out of your. But your training keeps you from losing your grip on Chidi entirely even as your strength falters in the fight to sink your blade in his skull. You're somewhat mollified that the force of the thump actually drags your knife across his eyebrow and off to the side of his temple, drawing a long, weeping red line across his face.

Chidi roars and rips you off his chest with a heave and a burst of power. The force of his action throws you onto the hard wood floor like a ragdoll, and it is only instinct alone that makes you twist and land in a way that doesn't immediately break your back or your shoulder. It still drives the breath from your lungs as you roll and roll and manage to roll onto your feet from the momentum.

Holy stars, this hurts. Your shoulder throbs and so do the bruises littering your body, and even the small of your back and sides of your hips where you store the extra magazine and the stolen gun. The one blood streaked blade is still bared, scratching the wood as you heave yourself to your knees and crouch warily as you catch your breath.

Chidi likewise has collapsed against the pillar, his fingers touching the blood trailing from the long but shallow cut with a grimace on his face. He breathes shallowly, holds himself in a way that indicates that if you haven't bruised his ribs, you have at least made them very, very sore.

You both eye each other carefully as you each nurse your own hurts, as you each ease into a ready stance.

"We are not here for you," Chidi finally bites out, shuffling his feet to inch closer towards where he had dropped his gun.

With deft, but aching, hands, you draw yours and dissuade him from doing so with a warning shot. "Then leave," you say lowly, eyes hard.

It's hard not to look over at Papyrus to check if he needs any help, but the sudden shockwave of magic that ripples from his side of the room tells you that you are better off keeping away. The shockwave makes you stumble and stagger, and though Chidi does the same, he uses your momentary distraction to lunge for his gun.

This time, he's faster than you.

Pop pop!

"Give up John Wick and we will!" he raises his voice to be heard over gunfire and magic spells both. Though with the way you raise your jacket over your face and run for cover, you can barely hear him.

Of fucking course.

You duck and weave and run for cover as you fire blindly in his direction. It's not sustainable. Not only because it eats up far more bullets than you can spare, but also because your hand cramps and seizes on the trigger. Fuck.

A room comes up to your left and you dive into it with only a moment to think. It takes another moment to pry your fingers open and to stow your gun, and then another to figure out where you have ducked into.

A wash station - tall cabinets and stainless steel plate washing machines and sinks. All structures tall enough and sturdy enough to bear your weight. Good.

Rather than stay on the ground, you leap up and catch the edge of the cabinet which is thankfully screwed into the wall. You scramble up and crouch on your perch just in time for Chidi to come charging in after you.

The man doesn't immediately look up, his head instead swinging from side to side to see where you had went. Rookie mistake on his part.

Chidi has but a moment to register the red shadow flying towards him from above. This time, you are faster...along with the element of surprise. Bowling him over onto his back, you care little for the way he hits the ground hard with your weight on him.

He lashes out and tries to rip you off, but he's still stunned from the impact. You take the opportunity to shift so you're kneeling on his arms, freeing your hands which now sport your unsheathed blades. Your first strike doesn't land as he manages to move his head enough that he dodges the blade, but not your knuckles. They impact the side of his face with a heavy thud, reverberating through your forearm.

Not a clean hit, and certainly not a fatal one. Trying again with your other fist, you raise it and bring it down, but this time it misses completely as bullets slam into your throbbing shoulder at the same time as Chidi yanks at your belt to unbalance you.

It results in you losing your balance just enough that Chidi can throw you away from him and further into the room.

You roll onto your back and slide on your side, reaching for a gun with aching fingers and hands to train your sights on the Myrmidon leader who staggers to his knees.

Pop pop...pop!

Two to the chest - blocked by raised, clothed arms. One to the head, delayed by your aching, uncooperative trigger finger, blocked by a raised jacket.

Damn damn damn.

You can hear more booted footsteps from outside the washing area. Reinforcements. For Chidi and Undyne, most likely, given the way that the Myrmidon leader keeps his back to the door and his face to you. And also given the fact that they shot at you - none of your staff would dare.

Fuck, if that's the case, you can't be found on your back. Grunting with effort and pain, you heave yourself to your feet through gritted teeth. One more. Just one more try.

Charging towards Chidi with a deep snarl on your face, you watch his body language as he braces himself to have you barrel into him. You see his arms raise, his hands open. He's preparing to grab you.

But you don't use the same trick twice.

This time, you drop and slide between his legs, skidding on the wooden floor right up onto your knees behind him. Fingers hook onto his belt and you growl with the effort needed to yank him off balance. With the help of a strategically placed knee, Chidi goes down with a shout, slamming onto his shoulder on the floor.

Yeah, you hope that hurt.

Flicking your eyes around, you look for an escape route.

Two more squadrons of High Table soldiers bear down on you with their rifles raised, a sea of black advancing towards you. You swear lowly and get your feet under you to get the hell out of there.

Higher calibre bullets slam into your back and thighs as you run for cover, hard and painful enough to knock the breath out of you with every blow. One catches you just as you slide into cover, and that's the one that winds you. Wheezing for breath, you crawl up onto your backside and scoot to put your back to a sturdy half wall, your face twisting with pain that rains fire up and down your back and thighs.

Fuck, none of the bullets penetrated your clothes and you're alive, but hell if this is the better alternative.

Fumbling for the gun in its holster, you push through the haze of pain to register the hail of gunfire upon your shelter...or lack thereof. Now that you're paying attention, you can feel the heavy taste of magic on your tongue. Thick enough that you can feel it on your skin.

What on earth...

Carefully, you lean and peek from behind your cover to find a curious sight. Eight High Table soldiers fanned out in formation, all with their sights trained on your position, frozen in space with fields of red-tinged blue cloaking them.

Papyrus?

You look past the frozen soldiers to see the tall skeleton monster still clashing with Undyne, his mask cracked in two and revealing the left side of his face. If it's not him, then...

"aw, eight on one? that ain't very fair. how's about i even the odds a li'l, eh?" A deep, baritone voice echoes oddly in the air, coming from all directions. But it is the loudest from the entrance from which the soldiers clearly came, a broad, stocky figure topped with a fedora silhouetted in the entryway. Bright, glowing red eyes flare bright in the shadows of their face, and magic ripples in the air at every word. "ya boys are gonna have a bad time."

You sigh in relief and crumple against the wall.

Sans. He made it.

[good-in-space]

4! 17! 34! 40! 41! 44! 45! 46! 48! 50!

ALSO WHY ARE YOU IN THE HOSPITAL?! ARE YOU OK?! ??!

4. Favorite 80's/90's tv show/s? Cheers, the 80s revival of The Twilight Zone, Perfect Strangers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Frasier, Friends, NewsRadio, The State, Mr. Show with Bob & David, ER, The Practice, Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, My so-called Life, Daria, Tales from the Crypt, King of the Hill.

17. What was the last play you saw? The Music Man, local community theatre production.

34. What are you deepest, most nonsensical fears? (You don't have to share this, make something up, have some fun.) I definitely have a fear of everyone I’ve ever known who has died watching me at my most humiliating moments from some after life. Perhaps as a punishment to them?

40. How do your take your coffee/cocoa/tea? I don’t drink any of these often. Coffee usually a soy latte, green tea, and cocoa pretty classic with a marshmallow or some whip cream.

41. Something you really want to watch but can't for some reason or haven't yet? There is so much I haven’t seen in the past decade. Just off the top of my head I’ve wanted to watch other seasons of True Detective, only seen and loved the first. Always wanted to check out The Knick, also only saw first seasons of The Americans and Mr. Robot and want to finish those.

44. What are some of the little things that make you happy? I love making people laugh, whether or it’s by making a joke or doing something funny, or someone reading something I’ve written or hearing someone else perform something I’ve written that makes them laugh.

45. Name a few characters you relate to? Nick Miller from New Girl, Ser Jorah Mormont & Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, Ted Lasso & Roy Kent from Ted Lasso, Kitty Pryde from X-Men comics.

46. Describe some of the knick knack/odds and ends in your room? I have several Stars Wars, Marvel and DC figurines/toys. A ceramic sugar skull I got at a Day of the Dead festival in Mexico when I lived near the border. An old Joe Montana football figure I’ve had since the late 80s. I have another wooden carved figure of “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” in the form of the three 🙈 🙊🙉 monkeys that my late grandmother had at her office for many years. I have a Peruvian fertility statue that I got from my late Great Uncle who was world traveler and artist.

48. What is a hobby you’d like to take up? I’d love to get a shop set up and work with either metal smithing or making resin art, maybe even metal restoration. Don’t know that I have any skill for any of it but it looks interesting and fun.

50. How does one make you smile? Others smiling and being happy does the job for me. It’s truly contagious.

And I’m now released from the ER. I do have a kidney stone moving down my bladder and have to follow up with a Urologist this week as it’s too big to pass on my own. Feeling better at the moment so fingers crossed 🤞 that keeps up.

[kingluffy5]

Playing Detectives Pt 4 (Wednesday x Male Reader)

Y/N and Wednesday learned of a potential new lead in their case in the form of Jericho’s founder Joseph Crackstone, meanwhile Wednesday’s latest stunt puts her on thin ice and when they learn that the monster is actually human Y/N and Wednesday start considering who they can trust.

I already have enough on my plate to deal with as it is with the prophecy only getting more confusing as a four hundred year old pilgrim who discriminated against out casts and tried to kill Wends’ ancestor is now seemingly involved, as well as the monster being a human, now I have to consider who I can trust outside of Wends anyone is a suspect, and of course Xavier just about proving that the Rowan we saw was a doppelgänger. But I also have to deal with possibly one of the worst things about this place, the Rave’n, one of our many school dances. I used to get asked a decent amount but I think they gave up trying, that or no one wanted to go with me after the scar on my eye took up part of my face. I would ask Wednesday to go as friends but our time would be much better spent focusing on the case.

Another thing on our plate is that Ajax stood Enid up on their date, I had to stop Wends from shooting him with a nail gun. I asked him about it and it turns out he stoned himself and missed the date, I suggested he tell Enid but he was too embarrassed, and I won’t tell her because it isn’t my place to.

At the moment however I should focus as me and Wednesday are sneaking into the morgue to inspect a dead body, we got word that the homeless guy we found in the old meeting house had been brutally murdered. Me and Wends slide in under the door as Thing sticks bubblegum onto the camera.

“Find the files on the monsters other victims and make copies, don’t pout, your scalpel skills are questionable.” She tells Thing as we go to find the body.

“Remember on my thirteenth birthday when Uncle Fester got me that cadaver, you sliced right through that man’s carotid.”

We check various containers and make occasional comments.

“Magnificent hematoma.”

Eventually we find the one, Wednesday starts recording her findings as we check the bodies injuries and Thing makes copies.

We see that the body’s left foot is missing when Thing starts telling us people are coming, we shut the container and hide in some empty ones.

The Sheriff and Mortician talk for a minute before the Sheriff leaves, the Mortician then opens the container with Wednesday in it but believes her to be a dead body and then leaves.

Thing opens our containers but Wednesday requests five more minutes inside.

— — —

Me and Wends are hanging out in her dorm putting our findings on a board.

“When I suggested giving your side of the room a makeover I did not have Ted Bundy’s Pinterest in mind.” Enid says.

“Still not as creepy as your stuffed unicorn collection.” Wednesday replies.

“Is this why you snuck out last night?”

“We may have made an unsanctioned trip to the morgue to copy the files of the monster’s victims.”

“Okay, there are so many levels of ew in that statement I don’t know where to begin.”

“We need to get inside its head, discover any patterns or anomalies, we’ve already made a big discovery, turns out all of the monsters victims have had body parts surgically removed, the first one a kidney, the second one a finger.” Wednesday says while handing Enid pictures.

“Wednesday, I don’t feel-”

“Third a gall bladder, and the bearded man from the meeting house two toes, do you understand what this means? These models aren’t mindless, he’s collecting trophies like a seasoned serial killer. It’s impressive, actually.” Wednesday says as we turn around and see that Enid has fainted. We turn back to Thing and request that he fetch the smelling salts again.

— — —

We are in Thornihill’s class now, I’m dozing off as I sit next to Gwen, I get excited when I hear Thornhill bring up something about sexual trickery but get disappointed when I realize she’s just talking about plants.

Bianca makes some joke about the Rave’n which causes Thornhill to solidify herself as my favorite teacher by revealing that because of the dance she isn’t going to assign homework.

Xavier talks to Wednesday about the dance but she says something about sticking needles in her eyes, we then both notice the scratches on his neck.

We look to each other and silently agree to follow him.

— — —

We follow him to his art studio and hide behind some trees.

“We need to do this, Xavier didn’t get those scratches from fencing, he’s hiding something.”

We walk into the studio and see several pictures of the monster looking like they’re staring right at us.

“I suppose every artist needs a muse.”

“A muse is a pretty girl or a bowl of fruit, this is just creepy.” I say

“Xavier you just said that much more interesting.” Wednesday said as she grabbed some pictures.

We head out but Xavier spots Wednesday, I duck behind the shed to avoid being seen.

“Wednesday.”

“Xavier, hello.”

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, I just saw you come out this way, what is this place?”

“It’s kind of my private art studio, I cleared it out and fixed it up so Weems lets me use it.”

“How very entrepreneurial, I would love to see inside. Why don’t you give me a tour?”

“Not right now, it’s a total mess.”

“I shadowed a crime scene photographer last summer, I’m not easily fazed.” I feel like she wouldn’t easily be fazed even if she didn’t shadow ad crime scene photographer.

“Maybe another time, why were you looking for me?”

“I wanted to go over Ms. Thornhill’s homework assignment.” Damn it Wends Thornhill didn’t give out homework, now he’s going to realize that we think he’s the monster.

“She didn’t give us homework, remember?” Shit, shit, shit shit. “Why are you really out here?” Double shit. “Is this about a certain dance that makes you want to poke needles into your eyes, perhaps?” Well, that was lucky. “I’m all ears.”

“Are you really going to make me ask?” Wednesday said. Wait what?

“Oh, absolutely.” Why this cocky, why would Wends actually go with him, I thought she hated the idea of dances just like me.

What then followed was a near half minute of Wednesday trying to ask Xavier to the dance before finally managing to spit it out. I don’t know why but when she finally asked and Xavier said yes it felt like my stomach dropped and everything just stopped for a second, why would I be disappointed about Wends going to the dance with X-, oh shit, I see what’s happening, I am starting to like Wednesday romantically, well shit, this sucks, we’re partners and good friends, being a couple would just ruin all of that.

— — —

While it’s clear that Wednesday is only going with Xavier to get info and check to see whether or not he is our monster, it still honestly feels sucky. And now I have to deal with therapy.

“I do actually have something I want to talk about today.” I say when I sit down.

Dr. Kinbott looked shocked by this and immediately grabbed her notebook. “Really, ok, what is it?” She asked.

“There’s this girl I like who I’m really close to, and I just realized I like her as more than friends, and there’s a dance coming up and she’s going with someone else and I know she’s not interested in him she’s just going for other reasons but I still feel shitty about it, I also don’t want to ruin our friendship by asking her out, and would I be a bad friend if I don’t feel happy if she was happy with someone else?” I ramble.

“That’s a lot to unpack, let’s start with this girl, is it Wednesday?” I normally would say no but the shocked face I give her manages to reveal the truth. “I see you two walking around a lot, you would be cute together, why do you feel like your friendship would be ruined by asking her out, or why do you think she would say no?”

“Well we just work so well as friends and partners, and I know that she would say no because she is this pretty, cool, smart, girl who seems to have guys throwing themselves at her, I don’t want to be selfish by putting my desires before our friendship.”

“It isn’t selfish to put your own happiness first every now and again.” She says trying to support me.

“Why would she go out with me, she’s perfect, and I’m broken.” I say putting my hand over my scarred eye as I smile at Dr. Kinbott.

“What do you mean by broken? Is it your scar? How did you get it?”

“Under normal circumstances I would never tell you this, but stuff has been feeling shitty recently and … I guess I finally need to let some stuff out to someone who doesn’t share my last name. I had another brother once, my parents first kid, he had bipolar, some days we were best friends doing everything together, others he hated me and stayed in his room all day, one time during dinner, on one of his bad days, I was joking and being loud and it was annoying him, so he grabbed his steak knife and cut at my eye, my parents rushed me to the hospital and not long after that he put a shotgun in his mouth.” I confess, telling the story for the first time since it happened.

I start to break down and the doc comforted me, handing me some tissues and saying it’s alright while all I said was either it’s my fault or that I’m broken. God I miss Arthur, so much.

— — —

After that I walked around Jericho before running into Wednesday.

“Where are you coming from?” She asked.

“Therapy.” I answer. “You?”

“Enid wanted to take me dress shopping but I managed to get out of it, now come on let’s go see the Sheriff.”

We then walked over to the Sheriff’s office and showed him the pictures we found in Xavier’s studio.

“We both know there is a monster out there, if we’re going to stop it, I think it’s time we put our differences aside and work together.”

“And this is your stake for me to deal you two in.” He then takes out any other picture and compares them. “I’m sorry, you gotta do better than that, you got some nice detail though.”

“We didn’t draw it.” I inform him.

“I need to know who did.” He says.

“Unless we’re exchanging intel I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Why would I share information on an ongoing murder investigation with a couple of high school kids?” He asks.

“Because we go to Nevermore and you don’t, don’t you want some eyes and ears behind those ivy covered walls?”

“Listen, Velma and Shaggy, why don’t you and the Scooby gang stick to your homework and leave the investigating to the professionals.” He says before getting a phone call, personally I feel like I would be Scooby but alright. “What?” He starts to talk on the line before calling us back.

“Let me see that sketch again, the person who drew this, that your suspect? When you bring me some concrete evidence maybe we’ll talk.”

We then finally leave the office but we end up running into Tyler.

“Don’t wanna ask what trouble you’re in now.”

“Nothing we can’t handle, your father’s in particularly frustrating form today, avoid.”

“Welcome to my world, you guys have the Rave’N this weekend right? It was all the buzz at the Weathervane today.”

“I must be the only one not obsessed with this stupid dance.” Wends says.

“So you’re not going?” He asks

“Actually, I was forced to ask someone as an act of self preservation.” I died a little inside when she said this, liking someone is so annoying.

“Sure that happens, I guess. So who is it?”

“Xavier.”

“Got it, hope you two have fun.”

“I’m not sure why you’re upset.”

“That’s kind of the problem, I mean call me crazy Wednesday but you keep giving me these signals.” I’m sorry what signals, occasional conversation is signals for this guy.

“It’s not my fault I can’t interpret your emotional Morse code.”

“Then let me spell it out, I thought we liked each other, but then you pull something like this and I have no idea where I stand, am I in the more than friend zone or just a pawn in some game you’re playing?” Well at least when I like a girl, I don’t blame her for not liking me back.

“I’m just dealing with a lot right now, I need to prioritize.”

“Thanks for cleaning that up, I guess, give me a call if I ever move up your to do list.” Tyler says before walking off.

“Not one word.” Wednesday says to me and Thing.

— — —

Wednesday and I moved our murder board into the beekeeping shed, with Eugene’s permission and Enid’s insistence.

“No worries. Mi colmena es us colmena. I assume this is the creature that’s been rampaging in the woods”

“You told him?” Wednesday glared at me.

“We told your roommate.” I said deadpan staring at the board.

“Mr. Fits banned me from bug hunting until further notice. Speaking of monsters with sharp claws can you give this to your roommate, put in a good word for me?” He asked Wends. “I hear she’s still sans date for the Rave’N.”

“Eugene.”

“I know the chances of her asking me are next to zero, but I don’t care. I’ll keep putting myself out there until Enid finally sees me.” God I need this kid’s confidence.

“And if she never was.”

“She will, I’m playing the long game, my moms say people will appreciate me when I’m older, I know they’re just trying to make me feel better, but-”

“Listen people like us, we’re original thinkers, intrepid outliers in this vast cesspool of adolescence. We don’t need these inane rites of passage to validate who we are, Y/N?”

“Most of the people going are self absorbed shit bags anyway.” I chime in.

“Exactly.”

“So you’re not going to the Rave’N either?” He asks us.

“I’m not.” I say.

“Actually, I am, with Xavier”

“I see.”

“It’s not like I like Xavier, I just have ulterior motives, sketches are the closest thing me and Y/N have to a lead to try and stop this thing.”

“That circle, I think I know where that is.” Eugene tells us.

“Show us.”

We walk through the woods for a few minutes before coming across a cave that looks like the circles in one of Xavier’s drawings.’

“You think it’s in there?” He asks us/

“Only one way to find out.”

We walk up to the entrance.

“I’m not a huge fan of enclosed spaces, I’m claustrophobic.”

“If you hear me screaming bloody murder there’s a good chance I’m just enjoying myself.”

We then walk into the cave and look around with our flashlights, we find deer bones and find some shackles attached to the wall with scratch marks around them and a claw jammed into the rocks.

— — —

Me and Wednesday go into Xaviers studio to find something to match for DNA to present to the Sheriff.

After we grab something Xavier walks in.

“The hell you doing he asks us?”

“How do you know what the monster looks like? Or all these just self portraits.”

“What, you think it’s me? I saved your life.”

“So did the monster. Or was that you the night Rowan was killed?”

“You are so out of line right now.”

“We’re just trying to uncover the truth, and your art seems to have a recurring motif.”

“Yeah, this creature’s been haunting my dreams for the past couple of weeks, I try to block it out, but I can’t so I just come in here and paint it, when I was painting this one the claws reached out of the canvas and took a swipe at me, that’s how I got these scratches”

“I thought you were able to control your ability.”

“Not when it comes to this thing.”

“Maybe it’s just your guilty conscience.”

“I told you I’m not the monster, okay?”

Wednesday then takes out the drawing of the cave.

“So you just happened to draw pictures of it down to the location of its lair in the woods? Those are some pretty vivid dreams.”

“You were in there before, when I caught you, that’s the only reason you asked me to the Rave’N isn’t it? To try and cover, you are unbelievable.”

“It’s nothing personal.”

“It never is with you is it? I mean, do you even care about anyone or anything at all, Wednesday? Get out! Both of you out!”

We do as he requests and leave to go to the Sheriff’s.

— — —

We hand the Sheriff our DNA samples.

“That’s the claw of the monster and that’s a dried blood sample from a potential suspect, he used it to dab scratches on his neck, run the DNA test and see if they match.”

“I’m sorry, do I work for you?”

“You asked for concrete evidence, that’s it”

“Where’d you get this? And who’s the suspect?”

“Run the test first then I’ll explain everything.”

“I’m not playing games.”

“Neither are we Sheriff.”

“Bernice, bring me a DNA authorization form please.”

— — —

Me and Wednesday were now back at Nevermore, we saw Eugene sulking by the fountain.

“Why so glum?” She asked him.

“Saw Enid at lunch, asked if she got my honey.”

“It’s not like I didn’t warn you, since none of us have a date to the dance-”

“We should all go together!” Eugene said enthusiastically.

“What? No, I was going to suggest we stake out the cave and identify the monster, whoever it may be.”

We then looked over at Xavier before walking off.

“Don’t worry man, someday you will get a girl who genuinely loves everything about you.” I comfort him.

— — —

Me and Eugene spent the better part of the afternoon getting ready, I was bringing minimal supplies, flashlights, some snacks if we get hungry, and I snuck one of my swords from my forgery with some runic engravings on it for extra measure just to be safe, the runes give it some ice powers and stuff, also some walkie talkies.

We began to head downstairs to meet Wends and head out.

“You excited buddy? Your first stake out.” I ask him.

“Yeah, I also just wanted to say thanks, if it wasn’t for you and Wednesday I wouldn’t really have any friends so it means a lot to me you guys are including me.”

“When you’re an outcast amongst outcasts it’s probably smart to stick together.”

“Yeah, not many others here love bees as much as us.”

“Also I have a massive pile of manga in my closet.” I confess. “The only ones who know are now you and Thing.”

“What?” He laughs.

“Tell anyone and I’ll kill you and hide your body in one of the hives.” I threaten also laughing.

We keep walking until we see Wends, in a dress, with Tyler, shit.

“Wednesday, what’s going on?” Eugene asks her. “What happened to staking out the cave?”

“Don’t worry we get it, we’ll check it out ourselves.” I say turning to head out.

“No, it’s too dangerous, stand down.” She tells us. “We’ll go together tomorrow night, understood?”

“Come on Wends, this our first real lead in a while. I’ll watch out for him.” I offer, she should go and have fun, even if it isn’t with me.

“You especially shouldn’t go.” She tells me almost as if it was a warning.

“Come on, here.” I hand her one of the radios from my bag. “We can be in contact at all times, if things gets hairy we’ll call.”

“Fine if you must go, you will remain by your radios at all times, and at the first sign of danger, run.” She tells us sternly

“Yes ma’am.” I say jokingly.

With that we part ways, Wednesday to the Rave’N with Tyler, me to the cave with Eugene. But, if there is one thing I know about Wednesday is that she always looks forward to the next thing, she never looks back, so why did I notice her looking back at me when we left.

— — —

We’ve been here for half an hour by this point, I always loved the vibe of the woods at night, the bugs chirping, owls hooting, the moonlight shrouded by the clouds. It just feels peaceful. Eugene talks in his voice recorder about how there has been no movement but he did here a type of bug he liked so that’s nice.

“Hey man put that thing away for a second will you?” I ask.

“Sure what is it?”

“What I’m about to tell you never gets out, you will tell no one, not Enid, not Thing, nobody.”

“Not even Wednesday?”

“Especially not Wends.”

“This feels a bit more serious than a giant manga collection.” He jokes.

“Yeah it is, I may or may not have been developing romantic feelings for a certain goth girl in our beekeeping club.”

“First we’re called the Nevermore Hummers, but wait, you seriously have a crush on Wednesday?”

“Yeah.” I confess.

“Well why didn’t you ask her to the dance?”

“I don’t know? First she was going with Xavier, then we were staking out this cave, and now she’s there with Tyler.”

“I can’t believe she bailed on us for the dance.”

“Don’t blame Wends, she’s been focusing on the case a lot, she deserves to have fun.” I defend her.

“But you’ve been focusing on it just as much, you should be able to go as well.”

“Yeah, I guess, but it wouldn’t feel the same not being there with her, at least when she was going with Xavier I knew she didn’t have feelings for him, but with Tyler it’s different, she’s choosing to be there with him right now.”

We then wait around a couple more hours before we hear a car pull up to the cave and someone gets out. They walk over to the cave before throwing in a Molotov cocktail. After throwing it in they shine their flashlight directly at us and run away as fast as we can.

We run for a few minutes before hiding behind some trees. We stop to catch our breath but we start to hear the monster snarling and we continue our run.

In the distance I can hear Wends shouting our names, either that or I’m just hallucinating. Before I know it Eugene trips over and loses his glasses, I turn to try and run back but the monster gets to him before I do. He slash my sword at it a few times before it runs off.

“Eugene, wake up kid, it’s gone, you’re alright.” I try to say to him. Before I know it I’m hyperventilating, my vision’s getting blurry, and everything is feeling numb, I don’t even notice it until Wednesday shakes me and yells my name.

“Y/N”

That starts to take me out of it as I notice her hand on mine and her terrifying yet somewhat comforting stare into my soul.

Thornhill runs in and yells. “Is he’s alive!”

[answersfromzestual]

Do you have any advice for preparing to get phallo/the process leading up to it? Also any advice on staying stealth while getting the surgeries done? I'm currently stealth and am looking to get phallo if/when I can afford it, but I don't know where to begin or how to not out myself to people during the whole thing.

Okay, lots to answer here. We will start with phallo prep. Alright, so one of the first things you have to think about is your donor site. You have a few options: forearm, lower back, and thigh. You want sensitive skin because this will form your member. And if course making sure you are healthy, no smoking, etc.

I chose my forearm. No matter where you pick, hair removal is important. For example: check the inside of your non dominant arm and see how hairy it is. They use the inside of your forearm to make the urethra. We don't want fissures, so most important for hair removal is your inner forearm. You can easily stay stealth while prepping your donor site with hair removal. Lots of people "don't like body hair". Or "I really want this tattoo to be perfectly visible". You don't need to offer a lot of information, people really dont care. "I want to prep my arm for a tattoo sleeve, and i dont want the hair to grow back and wreck the design". But lets be honest, they are in the busy of hair removal and they want you there. They dont care why lol. Explaining the scarring on the forearm after phallo: I say I burned my arm working at one of my first jobs in fast food. People have never questioned me. In fact, they usually will take it upon themselves to tell me some sort of burn story of their own to relate? I guess. Either way, it's chill. dont sweat the scarring. Definitely look up places that laser or electrolysis in your areas, or if you're worried in a city over. The point is: your skin will continue to grow hair, whether it's thick or teeny soft ones. You don't want that inside you. Same goes for the outside, your member will grow hair if you don't get the hair permanently removed.

It hurts, I'm not going to lie to you. But you'll be very happy with the results in the future. It's worth it. So... look into some hair removal places.

Exercise is important. Wrist exercises to strengthen are good if you choose forearm.

I'm not sure if you've had any surgeries. But you will need to get a hysterectomy and an oophorectomy as like the first "surgery step" of phallo. It's important to have these surgeries, especially if you've been taking T for longer than 10 years. If you don't remove the uterus and ovaries but keep taking T... you have a very high risk of getting cancer. So please, if you can try to see an endocrinologist at least once to get some basic knowledge on the effects of the hormones in relation to the inner workings of the human body, that would be good.

Stealth wise: it's your body and you can be rid of whatever innards you want lol. Meaning: tell the doctor you don't want the uterus and ovaries, and you want them removed. When asked "why...are you sure". "Yes, I am absolutely sure. I could go into surgery today if you have an opening" They won't have one open obviously but the point is: be insistant and strong and stern. If the doctor needs reasons here are a few: I don't want kids. I am in pain because of my period and it's affecting my quality of life". USE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE: "this affects my quality of life"

When you're in the process of phallo to stay stealth I used the excuse of needing to have corrective surgeries on my penis. Honestly. I was staying with my inlaws for the last two surgeries and they do not know at all. And I told them I had issues with my urinary tract (for me i have kidney stones and I said one tore me up inside so I needed to fix it). And honestly you won't be up and moving a lot after the first process of phallo, I don't really think you'll have an issue having to hide that. I want not just you but every dude to know men pee sitting down a lot more often than you think. After your first stage chances are you will have too much swelling to do the urethra surgery at the same time (but it can be done, I've heard people tell me). Basically the internet can provide you with medical excuses and stuff to tell others if they get too "intimate" with you.

Hopefully this helps a bit. If you have follow up questions, you know where to go!