#this isn't rocket surgery

[etz-ashashiyot]

Okay let's put this stupid semantics argument to bed right now:

Judaism is not Zionism, obviously, because Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people and Zionism is an amalgamation of political beliefs supporting the idea of Jewish self-determination in eretz Yisrael. They are two different things. Obviously.

However, you cannot separate Zionism from Jewish identity and Judaism, because Zionism is fundamentally a political ideology created by Jews, for Jews, and about Jews.

You also can't separate Jewish identity and Judaism from Zionism, because while the notion of statehood is contemporary, the longing to return to eretz Yisrael and end the Jewish people's exile has been a foundational part of rabbinic Judaism since 70 CE.

Bottom line: they are two distinct concepts that overlap substantially and you cannot talk about them as if Zionism is totally foreign and unrelated to Judaism or vice versa in good faith, but neither can you 100% conflate them.

This is like when pregnancy discrimination was allowed on the grounds that not every single woman is pregnant or will become pregnant (and also we know that not everyone who becomes pregnant is a woman) and therefore it's somehow not sex discrimination and you don't have to factor in misogyny and sexism into the conversation.

You can't talk about Zionism without talking about Jews, Judaism, and antisemitism, but also, if you bring up Israel/Palestine every time a Jew is publicly Jewish, guess what that makes you? (Hint: It's antisemitic.)

[tearueful]

The choice is pretty simple. There are only two options:

The woman who wants peace and a ceasefire or-

The guy who is best friends with Putin and Netanyahu that wants to glass Gaza.

That's it. That's the choice.

VOTE.

[bloodonmysqueegee]

Um surprise emesis blue fic because i am into tf2 now hhrjsjdk

I got a silly idea through getting inspired by fanart and was like yeah I could write that

I came out of emesis blue wanting medic and soldier to stick together after the horrors so I wrote what that would be like and then some gay shit happened mid writing. Not my fault.

Please read it tho I had fun making it

I made a Prequel too! Right here

[rocketonthemoon]

Rocket this is maybe a silly question but HOW do you pack?? I’m new to this whole thing and I can’t feel to figure out why it’s not clicking? Does it really go right up against you???

Hey there! Not a silly question! I feel like packing is one of those things that is kinda glossed over and just kinda "and you can pack" if you're transitioning/expressing masc. I'll shove this under a cut for friends that don't care/so this isn't taking up the entire dash.

So first off, it absolutely can go right up against you. Some packers and STP (stand to pee) devices are made to actually like adhere to your skin. I'm not super familiar with those as I, personally, really dislike the feel of mine right up against me for long periods of time. I live in an environment where 4-6 months of the year I'm sweating fucking everywhere and sweaty sticky silicone is just a nope for me. Instead, I put mine inside the front flap of my boxer briefs so it kinda is like a little pouch that keeps it against me but I'm not subjected to the feel of it right up against me. Plus then it stays in place when I use the bathroom or have to like change clothes in a place I don't want to just put my dick out in the open. Boxer briefs with flies are a little harder to come by these days but not impossible! I really like mine from Express and American Eagle but can't go wrong with pretty much any brand that fits honestly.

There also used to be like. Home made pouches that you could like safety pin or put little magnets on to clip on to your underwear waistband I guess if you wear like boxers that are less form fitting but putting a packer AND extra fabric in my underwear never seemed like a thing I wanted to do.

There is also underwear designed to pack that even have little pockets on the inside for you to put your packer in. Personally I've only found that packing jockstraps look/feel good because the underwear I tried always laid too high up on me. Jockstraps are great and help keep things in place when exercising - cannot recommend those enough if you're more active than just walking around town.

As for why it's not clicking it might be a few things. Could be the dick you're using you just don't like. I've tried a couple different packers from a couple different companies - some were too squishy, some I didn't like the texture, some were the wrong weight, some just made me look like I was walking around with a full on pop can in my shorts and since I'm 5'1 on a good day that's kinda an issue. I really love sport packers when it's hot which are just like a foam cup that kinda cling to you for the appearance/snugability while reducing sweat everywhere so it could be you just don't like things right against you or making you more sticky down there than you need to.

Also you could just not like packing. I know quite a few transdudes who straight up DON'T pack because they don't like it for whatever reason and that's cool. About 85% of the time you don't need a bulge to pass out in every day life if you're trying to pass as a cisdude. I've packed pretty much every day of my transition and even some before then and it's a huge confidence boost to me but it's not for everyone.

And like everything else it just takes getting used to. I think it maybe took me about a year to really get used to walking around with something between my legs and how to move so my hips weren't always exhausted from feeling like I was walking like a cowboy right out of a day long saddle. Even for people who say it was an instant relief have told me it took a little getting used to.

tl:dr - try putting it in the flap of your underwear rather than right up against your skin, try a different packer to see if it clicks better, and stick with it for just a little bit

[blacknailpolishbottle]

i love it when people are so paranoid they start tagging every goddamn post on their blog with some version of "if you tag as ship i'll kill you heehee" for even the most random bullshit pairing like bestie idk how to break it to you.... literally nobody on this goddamn earth has ever thought of those guys as a ship until you brought it up . 🧍🏾‍♂️ anyway thanks for putting a concept i never fucking wanted to think about in my mind so you can totally own the proshippers or whatever 💖💖💖

[yandere--stuck]

Yandere!TFP!Knock Out x Human!Reader Headcanons

❤️‍🩹 Knockout had become relatively well known in local street racing scenes. He had meant to keep a low profile, of course, but with a model as beautiful as his, he couldn't help but stand out. Simply the cost of beauty! What he didn't expect, however, was to get a fan. Sure, Knock Out noticed familiar faces at multiple races, but this was different. Someone who always complimented his skills and good looks after races. It wasn't long before he began to pick you out from a crowd. Hearing the whispers of your voice in the tornado of a crowd, yet somehow still distinct to Knock Out. The more he crossed paths, the more he indulged in talking with you and the longer he strayed from returning to the ship.

⛑️ He always kept his tinted windows up, much to your disappointment. Said he wanted to keep this side of him secret, but he did open up. At least, partially. You wouldn't get a real name, but could call him Knock Out, as a nickname. He told you he had recently transferred over for a position in medicine. That he practically lived at work and the conditions were terrible. The second he got a chance, he turned to the open road to feel some sense of freedom. When you responded with sympathy, Knock Out found himself surprised. He'd always considered humans… Primitive. Cute and squishy, but not exactly the most evolved bunch. Humans were supposed to be animals. But, you understood Knockout. You shared your own troubles and related to him. To watch the exhilaration of racing is to be stuck in the moment, to forget everything except where the rubber meets the road and how fast you can go. Despite himself, Knock Out began to grow fond of you.

❤️‍🩹 Whenever Knock Out was aboard The Nemesis, he only thought of you - which led to a few slip ups during surgeries. And whenever he gets a moment to himself, he's so wrapped in seeing you that even racing just feels like a preamble to talking to you! And he's been staying out so late… It isn't long before Megatron catches wind of this, going so far as to threaten his life if he didn't shape up. So, what he was about to do really wasn't his fault. It was for the best. He wouldn't focus if he didn't have you with him and when they win this war, you'll be lucky he took you in. Besides, you don't really think those other humans deserve you more than him, do you?

⛑️ It's late. He purposefully kept you from leaving long after the streets were deserted and the sun was swallowed up the horizon. He told you he wanted to show you the real him. You aren't expecting his door to open, and you definitely aren't expecting it to empty. Seatbelts shoot out to wrap around your body, pulling you in. You fly forward and crash face first against the seats, failing to catch your fall as you slide inside. You hear clicks as the belts secure you in, yelping as Knock Out rocketed forward, taking off into the night. 

❤️‍🩹 Knock Out, being more knowledgeable on humans than his fellow Decepticons, acquires everything you need to live comfortably. Nothing but the best for his favorite human! He understands that you're confused, angry, upset, betrayed, even. But that's okay! You'll see, Knock Out will show you this is for the best. You're probably feeling homesick, too, and love's the only medicine! He can't deny that somehow you've wormed your way into his spark.

⛑️ He's cautious around who he shows you off to, but when he does, he's incredibly boastful and proud of you, his human. The best human, even, because Knock Out deserved nothing but the best! Someone like Breakdown might not get it, and hey, as long as he's happy, right? But, at the same time, he can't help but notice how oddly affectionate and sentimental Knock Out is with you. Almost, dare he say it, like what one would do with a conjunx. Holding you cupped in his hands, holding you against his face plate (even sneaking the occasional peck), petting your head carefully with a claw.

❤️‍🩹 Knock Out doesn't care what the others think in regards to hiding you, just that he worries you may get hurt or used as a bargaining chip, and he couldn't live with himself if something happened to you. He felt… Connected to you. He loved having you by his station as he worked. You've even begun to start talking to him again! And it makes him feel so, so happy. His perfect little human. He doesn't care what anyone, even Megatron, thinks. He… He loves you. And he will never, ever let you go, no matter how much you stroke his ego and plead to go home, but the flattery is still appreciated all the same. Maybe one day you'll actually believe it.

[buds-and-baubles]

(agent grayson 2014-2016 issue #1)

i felt like this panel was a good way to show how reading this made me feel.

before i get to what i feel about how it treated midnighter, i just want to say.. i am so sorry to dick grayson and helena bertinelli for being in this comic series. i'm sorry for the spyral plot. i didn't do it but somebody gotta apologize to those two.

as for midnighter? a very long array of me going like 'he would not fucking say that' which i'll explain below. also i didn't miss the chin spike at all and where is my favorite freak's smile when he fights? they made him grumpy.

it feels like some of the dialogue gets close to understanding how he is, but just tacks on pieces he wouldn't actually say. i'll provide an example that ties into another point of why he wouldn't say a particular word for what he said;

original text bubble: "not bad, boy. i can read the electrical activity inside that pretty head. no superpowers. no meatware. but you found me anyway."

how i would've written what midnighter said: "i can read the electrical activity inside your head. no superpowers, no meatware, but you found me anyway. not bad, kid."

see to me, that sounds more like how midnighter talks. he typically prefaces things with statements.

example from the authority (1999-2002) issue #2 with one of his most famous text bubbles: "i know what moves you're preparing to make. i've fought our fight already, in my head, in a million different ways. i can hit you without you even seeing me."

as for calling his head pretty? no. he wouldn't do that. i'll be repeating this as i read this series but he would not flirt or sexualize dick grayson. he never has done that to others before the new 52 from everything i've read up to (i am finishing the worldstorm arc) because it is strictly against his character. he isn't the sort to do that to another man. you want an example of why i say that?

here's a line paraphrased (because fuck ennis and his homophobia) from midnighter (2006-2008) issue #5 that helps support it: "what it means is that i'm only interested in men. one man in particular."

he's talking about apollo. his husband, his sun god, his other half. he's the only man for him and he's an utter sap about it! everytime he sees him he gives him a compliment. he's so in love it makes me so happy to the point i get nauseous in a good way.

so to all the dick grayson fans who've read agent grayson and hate it for dick's sexualization, i just wanted to let y'all know that midnighter wouldn't be doing that to him. in fact, he'd let him know he doesn't deserve it or have to take it for the sake of the job. body talk by kermit_coded on ao3 (ily friend) approaches it exactly how i would've.

so all in all, he wouldn't flirt with dick or sexualize him in any way, and he'd say less of the goofy lines he said in this. not that he can't be goofy, but it's a more.. violent goofy i guess.

so why would midnighter be there following my idea not tying to the garden or anything? well, midnighter hunting down random shit like people put under surgery to become meta bio-weapons still feels up his alley. considering him and apollo did something similar back in their first ever comic appearance in stormwatch vol 2.

where's apollo then? well, he was following up on a lead about other possible meta bio-weapons on his own and then he and m were gonna go out to dinner with jenny q. to celebrate. sadly, the fates (dick grayson) had him get hit with a laser that shot him away team rocket style. now he's gonna miss dinner with his family.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

as a lifelong dinosaur enthusiast who moved towards interest in ecology in recent years what you said about paleontology being very holistic is very interesting to me. can you list, like, some examples of how that is? and if you think the same could be said of ecology as a field? especially if ecology n evobio share the disproving capitalistic ideology thing

all three are 100%

capitalism operates on a misunderstanding of nature and has an implicitly impossible objective

"infinite growth" in a universe with finite resources is not possible. the end.

and one thing we see throughout the fossil record, and in modern ecology, is how the limitation of resources leads to major changes, thus demonstrating that said limitation exists

furthermore, none really make money. the people who buy dinosaur crap are not that many. the fossils don't lead to profitable technologies or franchises (I'm excluding fossil fuels from this conversation, which are the Exception, but every inherently anticapitalist field has *some* Exception) and most paleontologists are ridiculously broke, and even our top paleontologists don't really get far beyond 100k in terms of salary (which is depressingly low compared to other academics in geology and biology)

it also demonstrates the interconnectedness of all life and how our history is the history of the world, not just the history of humans or even mammals

how much our evolution isn't just dependent on our genetics, but on our ecology, the things that live with us and shape us through life

disproving bioessentialism, the inherent assumption of many other destructive ideologies such as racism and transphobia

how even the rocks have importance far beyond what we give them as they are the primary recorders of our planet's history

how small humans are and how little right we have to bleed the planet dry like we're currently doing

and how, like all species that specialize too quickly and too largely, we are careening towards our own destruction in the process of the planet needing to heal.

I hope that last sentence isn't true, but the fact that we know this at all is thanks to paleontology and environmental science.

All of these fields poke back against the capitalistic, white-supremacist world. So it's hard to get into them, it's hard to stay in them, and it's hard to make a living in them.

Ftr, this is why I study paleoecology specifically, but I think paleoecology should be in common parlance as equivalent to brain surgery or rocket science bc I think I'm breaking my brain

[electronickingdomfox]

"Black Fire" review

Novel from 1983 by Sonni Cooper, and as far as I know, the only TOS novel from this author. This one was pretty fun, fast-paced, and a real page-turner. It's also notorious for being totally nuts, and having Spock going rogue and doing all sorts of crazy things. The intro was written by Theodore Sturgeon, no less. It's also very, veeeery spirk-heavy (and so far, the only K/S novel I've read that seems to get their relationship right, without going over-the-top).

Spock is the central character, and for the most part, the story follows his solo adventures, though Scotty shares some of these exploits in the early chapters. Amazingly, and despite all the unusual stuff that Spock gets involved with, he manages to stay believable. The other characters are all well-written too, even if they take a background place. And the same goes for the original ones, in particular Desus, the Romulan befriended by Spock.

The story takes place shortly before TMP. One thing that surprised me, is that this novel doesn't seem afraid to modify canon in substantial ways. Most of these books are more timid when playing with the characters, and focus on self-contained adventures that have little impact on the whole. Main characters are rarely put in real danger, or suffer grave injuries. Here, on the other hand, we have the entire primary hull of the Enterprise being destroyed and jettisoned in the very first chapter (a year before The Search for Spock blew the ship to pieces). The TMP uniforms are introduced already by the end of the five-year mission. Spock suffers a disabling injury, portrayed with realism, and not resolved immediately and easily with a magic pill. Also, this book gets pretty dark at times; Spock tries to kill himself not once, but twice... And a popular guest character from the series is also killed for real.

Some spoilers below the cut:

The Enterprise is in a routine mission, training cadets fresh from the Academy, when a massive explosion in the bridge leaves the primary hull destroyed, Kirk in critical condition, Spock with a splinter lodged near his spine, and many cadets dead. The primary hull has to be evacuated and separated, while the rest of the ship limps back to a starbase. In the following investigation, Starfleet declares that everything was a mere accident. But neither Spock nor Scotty are satisfied with this answer, since nothing on the bridge could cause an explosion of such magnitude. Therefore, they travel back to the jettisoned hull to find clues.

Spock is suspicious of some new yeoman, who entered and left the bridge shortly before the explosion. In her abandoned quarters they find two clues: a piece of paper with dots, which seems to be a star chart; and a ton of depilatory cream. However, Starfleet isn't convinced by this flimsy evidence. So Spock starts the first of a long series of reckless actions, and steals a small ship with Scotty, to travel to the star system depicted in the paper. Spock is in severe pain (and having suffered a similar injury in the past myself, I can testify: he IS in pain), but leaves nonetheless before undergoing the necessary surgery (I told you Spock is nuts in this novel). Meanwhile, Kirk's still recovering and has no clue of what's going on.

When Spock and Scotty arrive at the only habitable planet of the star map, they find out that a Romulan and Klingon ships have also been lured to that place by similar maps. Everything was a trap, and all of them are captured by the Tomariians, and brought to their home planet in an ancient rocket. The Tomariians are short, stocky and very hairy aliens, living in an extreme cold environment. Being poor and primitive, they've turned to scavenging, adapting the most disparate technologies to expand across their sector of the galaxy. Spock and the others meet the Tomariian leader, Ilsa. The one who disguised herself as a yeoman to plant the explosive in the Enterprise (hence all that depilatory cream). And she takes a liking to Spock, just as every other woman in this book.

The Tomariians plan to test their captives' strenght by sending them to different battlefields. This way they could determine the weaknesses of Federation members, Klingons and Romulans, in order to expand later through their territories. Spock's injury worsens, to the point that he's left immobile from waist down. But due to her attraction for him, Ilsa spares his life. Meanwhile, Kirk has found clues about Spock and Scotty's whereabouts, so finally, the Enterprise rescues them in the nick of time.

Back in the ship, Spock has to fulfill the promise he made to the Romulan woman captured with him: to warn the Empire of the Tomariian threat, should she not survive. After this, Spock has to face a court-martial for all his offenses: stealing a starship, and above all, establishing secret communications with the Romulan and Klingon empires. Charged with treason, he's sent to prison, where he meets and befriends the Romulan pirate Desus.

I won't spoil anything more (this is about halfway through the novel). Suffice to say that, after this, Spock gets involved in a prison break. He becomes a pirate by the name of "Black Fire", and gains a following of fangirls that write love poems about him (an amusing parody of real-world fandom). And finally defects to the Romulan Empire, creating massive drama with Kirk. Of course, there's a satisfactory explanation for Spock going amok, at the end.

Spirk Meter: 10/10*: Kirk and Spock are separated most of the time and have little physical contact, but the story truly reads as a break-up/reconciliation one. Specially with the introduction of Desus as a rival for Spock's affection. In the first chapter, Kirk is partially healed by a mind meld with Spock, and sighs his name upon waking up. Then Kirk anguishes over Spock's disappearance, and risks the entire ship to go rescue him (well... and Scotty). And there's a lot of commentary about how Kirk is Spock's only close relationship, and how his defection to the Romulans is a particularly painful blow for Kirk. The whole issue of Spock's treason has Kirk on edge and in a foul mood, to the point that other crewmembers are afraid of bringing the subject in his presence. As other books with a lot of spirk content, it's difficult to pinpoint single scenes, since it's a general theme all over the place. Add to this, Spock's absolute indiference towards all the women swooning around him.

Then there's, of course, Spock and Desus' extremely close friendship, said to rival that with Kirk. At one point, Desus reads aloud some of the love poems that Spock has inspired as "Black Fire". And one has to wonder if he isn't adressing the words to Spock himself.

McCoy doesn't appear much in the novel. But still gets some McKirk and Spones. In the beginning, he's devastated by Kirk's serious injuries and his inability to cure him, crying about the prospect of losing "the man he both admired and loved". Then, at the end, McCoy asks Spock to sign his book of love (and erotic) poems dedicated to him (!!!???), as an excited fangirl. "To belong to this man of fire, if only for a moment. - My flaming love." he reads aloud. And Spock even gives him his pirate earring as a gift. The novel closes with these lines: The black jewel gleamed its strange luminescence in McCoy's palm, but it was no match for the gleam in Spock's dark smiling eyes.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[beirarowling]

I believe a woman is a human being who belongs to the sex class that produces large gametes. It’s irrelevant whether or not her gametes have ever been fertilised, whether or not she’s carried a baby to term, irrelevant if she was born with a rare difference of sexual development that makes neither of the above possible, or if she’s aged beyond being able to produce viable eggs. She is a woman and just as much a woman as the others.

I don’t believe a woman is more or less of a woman for having sex with men, women, both or not wanting sex at all. I don’t think a woman is more or less of a woman for having a buzz cut and liking suits and ties, or wearing stilettos and mini dresses, for being black, white or brown, for being six feet tall or a little person, for being kind or cruel, angry or sad, loud or retiring. She isn't more of a woman for featuring in Playboy or being a surrendered wife, nor less of a woman for designing space rockets or taking up boxing. What makes her a woman is the fact of being born in a body that, assuming nothing has gone wrong in her physical development (which, as stated above, still doesn't stop her being a woman), is geared towards producing eggs as opposed to sperm, towards bearing as opposed to begetting children, and irrespective of whether she's done either of those things, or ever wants to.

Womanhood isn't a mystical state of being, nor is it measured by how well one apes sex stereotypes. We are not the creatures either porn or the Bible tell you we are. Femaleness is not, as trans woman Andrea Chu Long wrote, ‘an open mouth, an expectant asshole, blank, blank eyes,’ nor are we God’s afterthought, sprung from Adam’s rib.

Women are provably subject to certain experiences because of our female bodies, including different forms of oppression, depending on the cultures in which we live. When trans activists say 'I thought you didn't want to be defined by your biology,' it’s a feeble and transparent attempt at linguistic sleight of hand. Women don't want to be limited, exploited, punished, or subject to other unjust treatment because of their biology, but our being female is indeed defined by our biology. It's one material fact about us, like having freckles or disliking beetroot, neither of which are representative of our entire beings, either. Women have billions of different personalities and life stories, which have nothing to do with our bodies, although we are likely to have had experiences men don't and can't, because we belong to our sex class.

Some people feel strongly that they should have been, or wish to be seen as, the sex class into which they weren't born. Gender dysphoria is a real and very painful condition and I feel nothing but sympathy for anyone who suffers from it. I want them to be free to dress and present themselves however they like and I want them to have exactly the same rights as every other citizen regarding housing, employment and personal safety. I do not, however, believe that surgeries and cross-sex hormones literally turn a person into the opposite sex, nor do I believe in the idea that each of us has a nebulous ‘gender identity’ that may or might not match our sexed bodies. I believe the ideology that preaches those tenets has caused, and continues to cause, very real harm to vulnerable people.

I am strongly against women's and girls' rights and protections being dismantled to accommodate trans-identified men, for the very simple reason that no study has ever demonstrated that trans-identified men don't have exactly the same pattern of criminality as other men, and because, however they identify, men retain their advantages of speed and strength. In other words, I think the safety and rights of girls and women are more important than those men's desire for validation.

J.K. Rowling

[pupintransit]

Hey folks! My little corner of the internet has been getting a lot of attention lately, so I'll start by saying I appreciate everyone who is leaving comments across here and Bluesky, and to the folks who have been asking me about my experiences. It's rewarding to be able to chat with folks about a trans experience they aren't familiar with, and even to help others on their own journeys. So, thanks <3

I do get a handful of questions more than others though, and I know that not everybody is going to feel comfortable reaching out privately to ask stuff, or will have the time to go through my archive of blog posts to find an answer to what they may be curious about it. To that end, I've decided to write a FAQ about my experience with my gender identity and with my gender affirming surgery. This is a living document and will be updated as we go.

1: WHAT SURGERY DID YOU GET?

I opted for penile-inversion full-depth vaginoplasty, and saw Dr. Brassard at GRS Montreal for the procedure. My care at their site was suberb, and I have absolutely no regrets!

2: ARE YOU ON ANY HORMONES?

Yup! I take testosterone injections once a week. I have no plans to begin estrogen or any other feminizing hormones. The testosterone is to maintain my masculine gender presentation and keep my bones healthy.

3: WHAT IS YOUR BMI?

At the time of surgery my BMI was 37. GRS Montreal had a cap of 40, although most other places hover around 35. Check with your surgical team if they have any BMI or weight restrictions!

4: ARE YOU A TRANS MAN?

Nope! I was assigned male at birth. I used to call myself an AMAB trans masc, and while I think it's still a useful label to describe my experiences, it is (ahem) a touch controversial. I try to avoid introducing myself that way now and opt for simply nonbinary instead.

5: WHY DID YOU GET BOTTOM SURGERY?

For as long as I can remember I hated my penis and testes. They were in the way, they looked so strange being affixed to me, and having/seeing the buldge they created in my pants made me feel like such a creep. Growing up girls made me jealous because they had vulvas, and when I learned what trans men were in my late teens that envy intensified because they essentially had my dream body; a man with a pussy. I was well on my way to thirty before I realized what I was experiencing was dysphoria, and learning that I could do something about it without being femme was an incredible relief. It's easily been the best decision I've ever made.

6: WHAT DOES SEX AND MASTURBATION FEEL LIKE?

I dunno about sex just yet, but I can tell you with confidence that being penetrated with a dildo feels amazing! And don't even get me started on clitoral stimulation, holy shit. It's like everything that isn't your body just vanishes. You become a vessel for sexual pleasure. My penis never made me feel like that, and I don't miss it.

7: CAN YOU ORGASM?

Yup! I feel the same muscles contract that I did when I had a penis, only now it's focused on a smaller area due to how those muscles were rearranged during the surgery. I don't always cum, but when I do it's much thinner than it was with my penis, and doesn't rocket out of me like it used it. Instead it kind of flows out like a river.

8: WHAT WERE THE STEPS TO GET BOOKED FOR SURGERY?

I had to obtain a single surgical readiness assessment (basic informed consent stuff) in addition to getting everything okayed health-wise by my general practitioner and my surgery team. Once the assessment was sent in, my surgical team got in touch and a few back and forth phone calls later I was booked!

Some countries and clinics have different requirements, so this might be universal to your experience. Double check what you need to acquire before making any appointments!

9: WERE YOU ON HORMONES BEFORE SURGERY?

Nope! The new WPATH standards indicate that it's no longer a strict requirement, but having said that some countries and clinics are still picky about it. Double check what those requirements may be for your region before booking anything!

10: WHAT WAS RECOVERY LIKE?

Sucked! A lot! People heal in different ways and I am not remotely qualified to tell people how to avoid or mitigate pain. If you've ever had an invasive surgery before I'd wager it'd be comparable, but that's a question better geared toward your regular doctor.

11: DO YOU STILL DILATE?

Not only do I still dilate, I will have to dilate for the rest of my life. It's not comfortable per se, but the more you heal the easier it gets and the less often you have to do it. It genuinely isn't as big a downside as people think.

12: WHAT KIND OF BOTTOM SURGERY SHOULD I GET?

If you have to ask that means you're not sure if you want this, so the answer is none of them. At least for now. Take the time to unpack why you're considering lower surgery, and see a gender-affirming therapist who can help guide you. While the regret rate for gender affirming care is miniscule at best, it can still happen and you need to be prepared for what you're getting into. This is not an easy decision to make even when it's the correct one, and it's certainly not an easy recovery. "I don't know" isn't good enough.

13. HOW IS PEEING?

It's normal. I was fortunate enough not to experience any complications with urination or my urethra. Apart from being more prone to UTI's than I was with my penis (and having to get using to wiping after peeing) everything went according to plan. Don't take my experience as a given though, because complications can and do happen!

[lilbittymonster]

I really wish people would read the posts they reblog. I am very clearly stating that I am doing these giveaways for my followers, and so if you cannot reply to my posts, which have replies restricted to followers, then you are not eligible! This isn't rocket surgery!

I'm sorry, I understand being bummed out about not being able to participate, but I am prioritising the people who have been following me.

[zy-murge]

give me your doc headcanons immediately + thoughts on the fact that doc was in on the betrayal at the end of M:PN (he provided the rocket launcher)

okay focusing on the betrayal part first I was gonna be like "he definitely would not ask Hank to try and kill Sanford & Deimos?" and I completely stand by that. But I also forgot Jeb was there too. Doc would ABSOLUTELY tell Hank to launch Jeb's ass off that fucking tower I KNOW he's petty like that even if he doesn't show it.

Doc and Jeb's relationship I think is constantly a petty battle to show which is better. I think Jeb does this by trying to act like he's "above" everything Doc is doing, (attempting in) showing that he has more grace than to send his goons to do his dirty work (<- hypocrite, has already done so with sheriff & hofnarr) and participate in such vile experiments like what doc's doing for revival (<- STILL a hypocrite. while always against reviving people he like, still made some pretty heinous shit like the sleepwalker program.) Doc on the other hand knows Jeb is doing this all to get a step up on him and absolutely is just doing this to be petty (Ex-AAHW and all that, very likely he worked with Jeb at some point even if not side by side) so pointing out his hypocritical remarks ONLY in places he can't defend himself against (so like, important to say doc isn't saying "oh but you were a nexus scientist!" in response to "ghoulish experiments" but INSTEAD "well, you weren't complaining when i was putting you back together" so he like. literally cant come back from that) and fucking with him by letting hank just maul the shit out of the guy is also a really funny and really petty thing to do. "Thanks for helping me achieve my goal, STUPID! MR WIMBLETON KILL THIS CHARLATAN."

i think hank and 2bd probably bond over this a little bit too LOL. they may be opposites in so many ways but they fucking HATE that little prick. entitled, hypocritical, and most of all a pain in the ass to deal with.

okay finally; ETC DOC HEADCANONS

bottom surgery king

u know that thing autistic people do where they look the most bored out of their mind and in reality they're like actually having a really good time. Yeah

i think not only is her house VERY cold but he has like an abysmal amount of coolers, like from all the dead bodies and organs and shit she has to preserve just to perform all this experiments and most importantly COMPUTERS GET SOOO HOT WHEN THEY RUN A LOT & FOR LONG!! HIS ASS HAS SO MANY.

very warm body though (and also probably why he wears a fur lined coat? u saw the live action trailer ...)

i'll die on this hill forever but he fucking loves experimental music and raves and especially shit like bull of heaven and venetian snares and drill & bass music and anything weirdo and light. probably also felix kubin. my friend is Music Pilling Me

dogshit at gaming. still god at puzzles (minesweeper + crossword + picross ...)

i think at times he has to get with skinner to fix hank up and shit like sometimes it's so bad that shit needs to get peer reviewed.

to add onto that: so in canon the goggles he wears apparently has a HUD according to the arena mode description. wikihow "how to do surgery" alongside "grunt anatomy diagram" on the side

i'll probably do another 2bhank headcanon megapost (likely with repeats but no one really gives a fuck abt that part) bc those are pretty much the rest of my headcanons. maybe even just a hank-only post?! hope you enjoyed 🫶🫶❤️🫶❤️

[youwouldneverbreakthechain]

Working on a theory after a couple of Vol. 3 rewatches:

Essentially, the flaw in Rocket's design was the same as Batch 90's flaw. The High Evolutionary's plan was always doomed because his idea of a perfect race is one which is incapable of violence but still creates beauty through art and music, and that's inherently impossible.

To begin with, Rocket is a favorite of the High E, who explains to him that work on the prototype Humanimals is stalled because of their rage, noting that they're supposed to be "peaceful - like you" (emphasis mine).

Rocket, to all appearances, had the correct temperament. He was gentle, attentive, and most importantly, his obedience was absolute. He wouldn't even admit to enjoying music until he got permission. Paired with his cleverness, this made him exactly the kind of resident that the High E wanted for his perfect world, but he still was never meant to live there because he didn't have the right kind of body. The High E wouldn't care about Rocket's suffering but we can assume that he considered all that surgery inefficient.

So, the goal was to create a race that had a body like the Humanimals (which presumably reproduce on their own), but a mind like Rocket. But then Rocket solves the filtration problem and suddenly his genius has gone too far. I thought in my first watch that the High E decided at that point to execute Rocket because it damaged his pride to see his creation surpass his own intelligence, but there may be more to it. High E could have rationalized his way into taking credit for the idea, but an unpredictable element had just come up in the mind that he thought he had perfectly designed.

Rocket had taken a step from "useful" intelligence into creative genius, and all of a sudden, the meek little 89P13 was a threat. If his mind was allowed to continue its development, it might come up with any number of dangerous ideas: freedom, self-reliance, devotion to something other than its maker. Those are no big deal if they're limited to one caged raccoon, but Rocket's mind was supposed to be the blueprint for the perfect race.

Ordering Rocket's execution the very next morning was the logical next step, since the High E needed to know how he had made such a leap and couldn't get any answers by asking questions. He may have also been thinking he needed to get rid of the one subject who could potentially cause trouble in his lab - he even anticipated that Rocket, having discovered his own capability, was likely to set up an escape plan before the morning.

But with all this focus on Rocket's unique mind, the High E still never even considered the possibility that his creation could attack him. Quite an oversight, but then, until that very moment, Rocket had never considered that possibility either. His rage at Lylla's murder brought something completely new out of him, something which might otherwise have been dormant his entire life no matter how hard and lonely that life was.

I think it's significant that the block in making the Humanimals is rage. High E saw the problem as something being added to a mind whose natural state was peace (it looks like he even chose animal species that he perceived as friendly and harmless), but all along, that wrath was a part of Rocket too, as innate as his brilliance and inseparable from it.

When we see the "finished" Counter-Earth, populated by docile Humanimals who are smart enough to live their lives but don't question the order the High E imposed on them, I assume he's been working on it ever since Rocket's attack and this is the result that he originally thought he wanted. I mean, a 1980s cookie cutter suburb isn't my paradise, but I can buy that this is how he visualized his perfect world. By this time, though, he's aware that he fumbled in their making - note the new contempt for "rote memorization" - and he must know it had to do with the One That Got Away.

Certainly he's aware of Counter-Earth's decline, or he wouldn't have been so quick to give up on it when Quill shared his observations. The Humanimals mostly seem like good people (I'm still grieving for Vampire Bat Mom), but they'll never match the achievements of the original Earth. Something is missing.

So when Rocket resurfaces, it naturally follows that nothing else matters to the High E. The obsession isn't (just) about revenge; Rocket is the key to everything. He has the secret of what went wrong to make him disobey and attack, and also what went right that let him innovate an escape and then survive for years on his own.

High E is right about that, but he's dead wrong if he thinks he can learn the secret by dissecting Rocket's brain. It's been staring him in the face from the beginning but he's always refused to accept it: he didn't even have a hand in what makes Rocket special. Creative thought arises from the emotions of sentient life as God wills. We can nurture it or suppress it, but we can't engineer it.

Maybe Batch 90 was angry because they had been ripped away from their natural state and forced into a madman's game. Maybe they had a right to their rage.

Rocket became himself the day he learned to hate his maker, but he never stopped learning and growing, never stopped proving that he was more than what he was made for. In the end, he knows and we know exactly how violent he can be, and it's a story he shares with the entire human race of the real world.

He's offered revenge and he chooses peace. So can we.

[gothicprep]

are you trolling please explain how you think it’s 16

at this point, i'm convinced i'm being trolled.

that equation simplified is 8 (division symbol from 6th grade) 2, multiplied by 4. 4*4 = 16. this isn't rocket surgery.

[zoruascanbetrainerstoo]

[A video is attached. Watch it?]

[The video begins with Illanero in xyr human illusion, traversing through the Slowpoke Well in Azalea, when a knife is suddenly pressed up to xyr neck.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" a certain green-haired Rocket executive says, smirking as he holds the knife. "It's the Menace, back for round two!"

"Proton..." Illanero says, eyes wide with terror, tail between xyr legs.

"Aw, you remembered me! I'm flattered," Proton says, grinning. "Do you remember my darling knife, Top Surgery?"

"Well," Proton continues, "This isn't it. This is Bottom Surgery, for naughty Pokemon like you."

"But I'm getting a bit tired of chopping off Slowpoke tails, so I'll cut you a deal," Proton says. "Win a Pokemon battle against me, and I'll leave. You only have one chance, though."

"If you lose," Proton says with a twisted grin. "I'll tie you up and take you to my hideout, where you can be reunited with Top Surgery. And then you can choose which knife I use on you! Aren't I generous?"

Illanero hestitated, then said, "I'll battle you."

"Excellent," Proton says, pulling the knife away from Illanero's neck. "I hope you're not too fond of that tail of yours."

The video ends.]