#full disclosure i'm not a doctor

[luesmainblog]

With those manscaped ads going around again, here is a reminder to my penis-having friends out there: Do not put anything scented on your junk. I’m serious. It sounds harmless, especially since you have a closed sexual system, but it can genuinely be a very dangerous thing to be doing for a number of reasons. 1. You never know if you’re allergic to a product until you use it. Do you REALLY want to find out you’re allergic to some super specific scent oil mix because you put it on your nuts? 2. Whatever is on your balls will end up rubbing onto your underwear, and as you move throughout the day, it will inevitably make its way to your urethra. It may only be a little bit, but if your urinary track is sensitive enough, that can lead straight to a UTI. Believe me, those are incredibly not fun. 3. But let’s say you only wear it during naked times. Totally fine, right? Nope; you’re STILL at a risk for a UTI because of how scent actually works. When you smell something, it’s because there are particles of that thing in the air, and those particles make it into your nose and your nose essentially “tastes” those particles. Now, for most stuff, that’s fine. However, those tiny particles - when there’s enough of them - can still make their way into your urethra over time if they’re close enough, and once again, that can lead to an infection because there is a foreign matter in your pee hole that doesn’t belong there. (this is the reason so many vages end up with UTIs when using scented pads, when normal pads don’t do anything to them. it’s the scent particles.) 4. This product is given to you alongside masculine grooming items, and if you think it’s difficult to shave your knees, you’re about to learn the fear of god the first time you try to shave your nuts. this goes double for especially wrinkly folks. Now, shaving is entirely your choice, but imagine getting deodorant in a bleeding nick on your NUTS. can you say Ow? and god forbid that thing get infected because you introduced a foreign entity your body didn’t like. I don’t think anyone wants infected balls. 5. The following can also apply to any partner you may have if you’ve freshly put it on, or if you’ve been wearing it around all day in a pair of underwear or pants(again, that stuff’s gonna end up rubbing onto the rest of you). So even if YOU’RE not allergic, or sensitive to UTIs, your other half might not want to suddenly get hives in her vag, or a sudden yeast infection, or a frot-induced UTI because you got yourself all deodoranted up before funtimes. none of this even gets into the possibility of irritation, the risk of spraying on one spot for too long(chemical burns on your balls, bro, never fun), the fact that scents could end up masking a change in your scent that would normally alert you to go see a doctor, there are MULTIPLE reasons to consider whether or not you REALLY need to put deodorant down there. I don’t know if this post will blaze, as the message is inherently nsfw, but I sincerely hope it will. You shouldn’t use ball deodorant for the same reasons you shouldn’t use scented pads, and you ESPECIALLY should not be putting a scented SPRAY anywhere near your pee hole. obviously this is all a personal risk thing, some people will be able to go 15 years perfuming the hell out of their sack and never face a problem, but it genuinely worries me that this is being advertised as totally normal, sexy, and risk-free. I just want the public to be informed; y’all might not be as used to the ways beauty companies will lie and hurt you for a quick buck. Be safe out there, and please, take good care of your sack.

[goatsandgangsters]

on the one hand, it feels genuinely insane speculating on plot points based on an actor's actual IRL name because television does not work that way! logically I know this!

but on the other hand. when doctor who casts an actor named SUSAN TWIST in recurring roles every single episode of a season that: 1. broke the fourth-wall multiple times, 2. had an episode about coincidences, 3. did weirdly long musical number about "there's always a twist at the end," and 4. discussed susan by name and emphasizes the doctor's identity as a parent way more than usual

I start feeling insane and believing that fourth-wall-breaking, throwing-all-established-tv-logic-out-the-window, extremely meta actor-name plot twists are possible

[gender-snatched]

White people will see the Doctor be a Black person for the first time, see said Doctor experience racism, and go "what if a DIFFERENT (read:white) Doctor was in this situation 🤔🤪 now I KNOW they wouldn't have let Lindy get away with that".

[lady-phasma]

I am convinced the entire hotd cast are smokers

You know, anon, I wouldn't be sad about that! I don't hate cigarettes. Matt Smith smokes/has smoked cigarettes. I find it extremely sexy. I don't really like to share paparazzi photos, so here's his character Jack in Last Night in Soho being sleazy and sexy with a cigarette. just for fun.

I would give anything to see Ewan smoking in the wild.

[zimszim]

trying to find a gifset of the doctor getting shot so i can reblog it because it was so fascinating to witness him trying to keep his composure throughout the episode when shit keeps happening as he's standing on a fucking landmine right? but in that moment, it was physical pain, and yet it barely had an impact on his composure. you could tell it hurt very obviously but he did not let go of that urn and he would not for anything. so then when ruby gets shot (which he would see as his fault), he nearly crumbles and even then it looks like he dissociates or at least loses some time from being so scared/shaken/lost and sings the rhyme to calm himself down, get his head on straight

[that-random-fangirl]

terrible doctor: the series

Doctor: hello ma'am how are we doing today? What's your horoscope - mine is great it's- Doctor: oh you don't know? I can find out, what's your star sign? Wait, wait, let me guess! Doctor: you're a Taurus, right? Says here you messed with the bull and you're getting the horns! Doctor: by which I mean you tried to fuck a cow and now have several bovine STDs

[terriblysheepish]

every so often i just wake up and i have so much fucking intent. like there is the intent to work. the intent to read. the intent to write and read. the intent to do hobbies and cook and go out and care about things and just do shit. i have so much intent in my fucking body that it overwhelms me and i just sit in the living room or on a bench somewhere and just short-circuit because my physical body cannot handle all of the fucking intent.

[praisetheaxolotl]

The Arsonist Theory, Part 2: We Get It, The Billboard Was A Metaphor

Part 1: Mandibles!

First off, I want to say thank you all for giving the first part of my theory such love! I appreciate each and every one of you and I'm so happy that you all like my theories so much!

For those who are new here, the Arsonist Theory proposes that Bill wasn't alone in destroying his dimension- rather, he was used by a third party. This is part two of four, with the remaining two parts coming out very, very soon.

Also, same as before:

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK OF BILL, INCLUDING SOLUTIONS TO CIPHERS

Let's get into it, shall we?

In The Great Gatsby, certain motifs have more than one symbolic meani-- no, really, stay with me here!!

...Okay, fine. Let's back up.

In the Book Of Bill, you'll find a webpage called thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com. Go there, and you'll be prompted to enter a password. Go back to the Book of Bill, and hidden in a stretched-text section, you'll see the phrase NEED A PASSWORD? FINE, I'LL TALK / IT'S THE NAME OF THE EYEBALL DOC.

"The eyeball doc" is from the excerpts of The Great Gatsby further back in the book-- T.J. Eckleburg.

(Honestly, this explanation is moreso that context doesn't get lost to time.)

So... Gatsby. T.J. Eckleburg.

Hirsch could have chosen any number of public domain novels for that gag in the book... so why this one? Why tie it in by making it the password?

I believe it has some significance to the greater plot. Furthermore, eye doctors in general are a large point of Bill's early life in Euclidia. Take the silly straws- the red one has a numeric cipher, while the other three use a Caesar cipher.

In the order of RGBY, they read as follows:

TWISTED OUT OF SHAPE AFTER THE KILL / THE GHOSTS OF HIS FAMILY ARE HAUNTING HIM STILL Eye doctor of a different kind / Who wants to make his patients blind The doctor says / Three sips a day / Will make the visions / Go away Fussy eater / Baby Billy / Wouldn't drink / Unless it's silly

These ciphers refer to a certain couple of tidbits Bill tells us about his home.

One- He could see the third dimension. A rare mutation.

Two- Talking about it at all was illegal.

So, what were his parents to do when their son started talking about nonsense that was illegal to even mention? Well, if your child started acting strange and seeing things that weren't there... you would take them to the doctor.

It's clear to me that Bill's parents were concerned about the "visions" their son was experiencing, and took him to the doctor to cure them- an eye doctor that wants to make his patients blind. The blue straw explains how the medicine is supposed to work. The yellow straw explains why Bill has such a fondness for silly straws- he was a picky little kid, and hated his medicine, so his parents got him silly straws to drink it out of.

I wonder if that's why he collects them- because they remind him of home, of his mother urging him to take his medicine, of his life before all of this happened.

But never mind all that.

The thing is, an eye doctor is crucial to Bill's past, which of course brings me back to T.J. Eckleburg.

In The Great Gatsby, certain motifs have more than one symbolic meaning, and the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg are no exception.

(Okay full disclosure, I have not actually read Gatsby and I'm Sparknotes-ing this shit. But, so did all of you when you were assigned this in high school, so we're even.)

They appear on a billboard in a place called the Valley Of Ashes, and at first, they seem to symbolize God. But as the scenes continue, they take on a different meaning.

See, our POV character, Nick, is going on this journey to meet the mistress of his friend. Nick is aware that this is an immoral action, yet does it anyway. Now, the eyes of Eckleburg cast judgement... along with issue a warning.

They now take on a new meaning-- a foreboding omen about the tragedy that lies in wait, inching ever closer. The tragedy in Gatsby being the death of Myrtle, the mistress, and subsequent string of deaths that follow it-- and, curiously, Nick states that the eyes of Eckleburg almost supernaturally draw him someplace... which ends up being where Myrtle is.

Both a higher being, and a warning of a horrible tragedy that ends in death upon death upon death... curious!

What's more curious is when Bill is admonishing the story and Un-Gatsby-ing us, he says this:

The billboard is a metaphor? Why mention that? Out of all the symbolism in this book, why the billboard? Is it because it was mentioned in the preceding pages? Then why mention the theme of the American Dream being a myth? That wasn't on those pages! If you had to mention symbolism, the green light would have been the most iconic example of it from the book.

So why the billboard?

Is, perhaps, the image of some sort of higher power watching you, admonishing you of the tragedy you will have a hand in causing, supernaturally pulling you to someone that will be the catalyst for it all.... relevant somehow, to Bill?

(And, as a sidenote- the theme of the American Dream being hollow could also apply here, as Bill got what he wanted- freedom into the third dimension, Weirdmageddon, all of it. But he's still not happy and still wracked with guilt over Euclidia, ultimately an interloper in a place he doesn't belong in, just as Nick says at the end of the novel that he is a Midwesterner unsuited to life in the East Coast city.)

Let's talk about Flatland.

It's interesting to note that in the original novel, A. Square does have help witnessing the third dimension-- a Sphere contacts him, and tells him about the third dimension, intending to use the Square as a conduit to educating the rest of Flatland.

This, of course, leads to mass imprisonments and executions, one of said imprisonments being of the Square's own brother, with the Square being imprisoned himself at the end of the book.

Point being... in the original story of Flatland, the two-dimensional outsider was visited by a higher being, one that used him to alter Flatland and only ended up causing chaos and ruining lives.

All I'm saying is, the Book of Bill and Bill's story in general draws parallels to two existing books-- Flatland, and now The Great Gatsby. It would be foolish to write this off as a random occurrence when the game of Gravity Falls has always been analyzing the smallest of details. I believe the choice in book was on purpose, and moreso, that it was specifically used to hint that maybe Bill wasn't alone in all this. There was some kind of higher being that influenced him, just as the Square was influenced. That looked down upon him with impossibly wide eyes, pulling him closer and closer to ruin.

Oh, by the way-- Bill up there mentions being touchy about his weaknesses ever since... something. This is clearly his death, but... is that all he means? But that's gonna be in part four.

Next time, it's all about the many cycles and the distinct breaking of them present in Gravity Falls itself, and what that means for Bill as the villain and foil to them.

Part 3: Journey To The Vicious Spiral Nebula

Part 4: Blame The Arson, Not The Fire

[ophelia-writes-fics]

the thrill of the rush [martin whitly x reader - 18+]

You had always known that Martin wanted kids, but you hadn’t realized quite how badly until you’d agreed to start trying for one.

Tags (please read!): fem!reader, breeding kink, pregnancy kink, lots and lots of praise, like so much praise, pet names, overstimulation, multiple orgasms (fem receiving), daddy kink, begging, mild degradation, rough-ish sex, a bit of biting, aftercare, weirdly soft and tender considering martin is a serial killer but honestly this could be read as an AU where he isn't

Word count: ~1.9k

CWs/TWs:

reader and martin are trying for a baby, but there's no in-depth discussion of pregnancy, and reader isn't pregnant (yet)

full disclosure, i'm only on episode 5 of prodigal son (but i've seen a ton of clips and edits) so if martin's a bit out of character i apologize. i tried to capture his softer, family-oriented side a little bit - i like it when he's scary, but sometimes a bitch just wants to be lavished with love, yk? <3

i'll write some really kinky shit with him later, i've got some fun requests, but for now, enjoy! (oh, and 10th doctor smut will be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned!)

You had always known that Martin wanted kids, but you hadn’t realized quite how badly until you’d agreed to start trying for one. 

However, now that he had you pinned underneath him, practically bent in half, and was pounding into you with reckless abandon, you were starting to realize what exactly you were in for. 

“Oh, f-fuck, please, Martin, s-slow down…” you begged, your hands scrambling for purchase on his forearms as your eyes rolled back from pleasure. 

“Shh, darling, you can take it. You’re my good girl, aren’t you? Just lie there and let me take care of you,” he murmured before gently kissing your forehead and doubling down on his already brutal pace. 

“Mnn…c-can’t take it…too much…” You shut your eyes tightly, thoroughly overwhelmed with pleasure. 

He’d already made you cum twice by going down on you, then twice more while fucking you like this, and despite how overstimulated and sensitive your entire body felt, you were rapidly approaching another orgasm. 

“You can and you will, sweet girl. I’m going to make sure you get just as much enjoyment out of this as I do, and if that means I end up making you cum a dozen more times tonight, then that’s how it’s going to go. You’re going to take it.” He pressed a series of desperate, open-mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin on your neck. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this. Do you know what you do to me? What your body does to me?” 

A particularly hard thrust made you cry out, and from the look in Martin’s eyes, you could tell that was exactly the reaction he was hoping for. His grip on your thighs tightened as he bent you further back, pinning you so that your knees nearly touched your shoulders, fucking you deeper than you’d thought possible. He leaned in close to whisper to you as he pounded you mercilessly, his hand moving between the two of you to rub against your hypersensitive clit. 

“I’ve been waiting on this for ages, darling. I’ve been waiting -- fuck, you feel amazing -- waiting so long to have you like this, all mine for the taking, at long last.” 

Martin groaned, closing his eyes as your cunt tightened around him. You opened your mouth to try and tell him you were getting close, that you needed him, that it was too much and not enough and you needed it so badly, but before you could speak, he pulled you close and kissed you passionately, a stark contrast to the absolutely brutal fucking he was giving you. 

He pulled away, leaning his forehead against yours. “I know, sweetheart, I know, you’re so close, I feel it,” he purred, interrupting himself every so often to kiss you again. “I can feel how badly you want it. It’s all right, darling, let it happen. I’ve got you. I’m not going to stop for anything, I promise. Cum for me, baby, I know you can do it.” 

You could barely even process the words coming out of his mouth, but still, your body obeyed his orders, almost instinctively. You couldn’t have held back if you wanted to, your desperate moan becoming a scream as your orgasm hit you like a ton of bricks, leaving you trembling and whimpering for Martin to please, please slow down, it’s too much, even though you both knew full well that you could take it. He fucked you straight through it, only barely slowing down as you came, then picking up the pace again, thrusting into you with deep, hard strokes. 

“Such a good little girl,” he praised, giving you that look you knew so well as he smiled at you; that thrilling, dangerous look in his eye that made you feel like a cornered prey animal, completely helpless and at his mercy, and you wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. His hand wandered to your neck and wrapped around it - not nearly hard enough to restrict your breathing, but enough so you felt the weight of it, so that you knew you were his and only his. 

You practically melted beneath him at the feeling, letting yourself float away in the waves and waves of pleasure that never stopped. You lavished in his praise, in the feeling of his hands all over you, in the light graze of his beard against your face, your neck, your chest as he kissed you over and over again. 

“Martin, please, I’m ready…”

He pulled back, fixing you with a look that betrayed his own desperation. “Ready for what, sweetheart? Use your words, I won’t know what you want if you don’t tell me.” 

“I -- ngh! -- I want you to cum, please, I wanna feel it, I want…” you trailed off with a gasp as he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside you. 

“What do you want?” 

You moaned, barely able to string a coherent thought together, feeling yourself getting more and more lost in your fog of pleasure. 

Martin grabbed your chin firmly, turning your face to him. “I said, what do you want, hmm?” His gravelly voice was like music in your ears. “Say it, sweetheart. Tell Daddy what you need.” 

You stared up at him through blurry eyes, trying to focus on him in your fucked-out state. “I want…I want you to fill me up. I want to have a baby with you, Martin. I - I need it, please, I’m ready, I want - oh, fuck, oh my god, yes, right there…fuck, I - I want to have your child, please, I need it, Martin…”

That did it. Without even pulling out, he turned you over and quickly positioned you so that you were on all fours, pressing your face into the mattress with a deep moan that was almost a growl. He grabbed your hips hard, using them as leverage to fuck into you even harder, with shallow thrusts that hit the most sensitive places inside you, never pulling even halfway out. 

“Oh, yes, that’s it, my filthy fucking girl. You want Daddy to breed you?” 

He knew the answer, he’d known it since the beginning, that was what had started this past hour of overwhelming pleasure for you, but you knew that he wanted to hear you say it. He wanted you to beg. 

“Yes, yes, fuck, yes! Please, please, I need it, please…” 

“Ah, there’s my good girl. You’re so sweet, aren’t you? Begging like a whore for me to fill you up. There you go, let me hear you moan for it, let me hear how desperate you are for me to put a baby in you, come on…Mmm, such a good girl, lying there and taking it like the slut you are.” 

You could tell from his tone of voice and the way his pace was starting to grow erratic that he was getting close, and you knew that you weren’t far behind him. You absolutely loved it when he got like this, dominant and possessive and half-mad with lust. You could barely hold yourself upright with how badly your body was shaking. 

You felt his grip tighten on your hips, fingers pressing so hard into your soft skin that you were sure you’d have bruises tomorrow, and you whined desperately, the sound growing muffled as Martin shoved your face back into the mattress, his hand tangling in your hair and pulling slightly in a way that sent shivers down your spine. 

“God, you have no idea how hard it’s been for me to hold back, I’ve wanted to do this for so long…can’t stop -- oh, shit, darling, just like that -- god, I can’t stop fucking thinking about how pretty you’ll look carrying my child, how needy you’ll be for me for those nine long months,” he panted, voice shaking ever so slightly. You knew he meant every single word. 

“I’m going to take such good care of you, my perfect girl. You hear me? Daddy’s going to take such good care of you.”

He wrapped an arm around you, toying with your clit in a way that he knew would drive you over the edge at any moment.

“I’m going to take care of you just like I’m doing now. I’m going to make you feel so good that you’ll never want to leave this bed. You won’t have to. Just - oh, god - just say the word and I’ll be at your beck and call. But right now, what I need you to do is cum for me, because--” 

His words broke off with a deep, feral moan before he collected himself enough to speak. “Because, my beautiful darling, I am getting so fucking close to cumming inside you, and I need to feel your needy little pussy take every drop I’m going to give it, do you understand me? I’m going to count down, and when I tell you to, you’re going to give me everything you’ve got, yeah?” 

You moaned and nodded, feeling thoroughly drunk and light-headed with pleasure. 

“Three…” 

You felt yourself tighten around him as his fingers sped up against your clit. 

“Two…” 

You could feel yourself getting closer and closer, so close, so fucking close…

“One…”

It was so much, it was all too much, you couldn’t hold back for even a moment more…

“Fuck, yes, there you go, cum for me, angel, cum for me!” 

You cried out as your final orgasm of the night washed over you like a tidal wave, your throat feeling sore and raw, your body feeling electrified all over as shocks of pleasure coursed through every inch of you, inside and out. Martin had done the same as he came deep inside you, his voice rough as he moaned for you, panting hard, his head thrown back in ecstasy as he filled your cunt with his seed. 

After what felt like an eternity, you collapsed onto the bedsheets as you came down from your high, unable to hold yourself up any longer. Martin laid down beside you, pulling you into his arms, holding you close as he wrapped you both in a blanket. 

He pressed a kiss to your neck before resting his face against your shoulder, sighing contentedly. His arm was wrapped around you, his warm hand resting protectively against your lower stomach, right where you could still feel his cum inside you. 

“You’re incredible,” Martin sighed, his soft exhale tickling the shell of your ear. “You did so well for me, sweetheart, you were wonderful.”

“Yeah?” You gave him a sleepy smile as you settled yourself into his embrace, floating in the afterglow. 

“Mm-hmm,” he replied, and you felt him smile against the curve of your shoulder. “I can hardly wait until you start showing, I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.” He pulled you closer, playfully biting your neck as you giggled, then tilted his head upward to gently kiss your lips with a loving smile. 

“Let’s get some sleep now, sweet girl. I know you’re tired, and you’re gonna need plenty of rest soon, hmm?” 

You nodded, yawning and pulling the blanket tighter around the both of you before settling back into Martin’s warm embrace. 

He hummed quietly, contentedly, and you felt the sound vibrate in his chest. 

“Sleep well, my beautiful girl. I love you with all my heart.”

A/N: thank you so much for reading! if you have any other ideas, my requests are open, so ask away! and again, i've got another fic coming tomorrow, so be sure to check it out if you're interested. feel free to like, comment, rb, share, whatever you like :) love you all!

[thebibliosphere]

I have a question about MCAS if you've not already covered it and have the spoons for it. When your (or anyone else in generals) symptoms started, or at least when you first noticed them/looked back on things and realized they were probably MCAS related, did they start slowly and less severe with like, gut upsets, intolerances, and a little itching, or did it go straight to anaphylaxis reactions?

(Full disclosure I'm asking cause I have POTS, am in diagnosis hell for likely hEDS, and have been noticing more and more foods that make my tummy pipes unhappy recently, and I'm wondering if there's anything I should be on the look out for.)

And give the dogter mop a kiss on the head for me!!

MCAS is progressive; very few people start out with instant anaphylaxis unless they have true IgE allergies. For myself and many others, it started out as small things like upset stomachs, itching, headaches, mild allergic reactions, etc. Not everyone experiences anaphylaxis with MCAS, but if it goes untreated long enough, it can progress to that.

If I had been treated 'early' (they didn't know it existed when I was a kid), it likely wouldn't have progressed to anaphylaxis or any of the other complications I've suffered. Sometimes, an illness can make it ramp up in intensity as well, so that's something else to watch out for. Covid in particular seems insidious for it.

If you're already noticing one or two things and already have POTS, I'd suggest asking your POTS doctor about doing a trial of antihistamines. Some POTS patients find relief in following the MCAS starter protocol, which is usually 10mg of cetirizine (Zyrtec), 20mg of famotidine (Pepcid) twice a day, and 25mg of Benedryl at night. If that helps your POTS, further investigation into MCAS would be warranted.

(Please note I'm not telling you what meds to take. I'm letting you know what the MCAS starter protocol is in case your POTS doctor isn't aware of it so you can talk to them about it.)

Best of luck, friend, and consider Dogter Mop smooched on your behalf!

[seahorsepencils]

Hi, I did an extremely normal thing. Here's my detailed analysis of a screenshot from the latest promo for DW episode 9, which I think might be showing Kate Stewart's reflection behind Mel.

This image has been adjusted somewhat to make the elements I'm analyzing more distinct. The original image is at the bottom of this post.

Full disclosure: it's very possible that I'm just imagining Jemma Redgrave's facial structure in some weird circular shell thing sitting on a shelf in the Memory TARDIS. Like those people who see the Virgin Mary in a slice of bread. (For the record, I have never seen Jemma Redgrave's face in a slice of bread. Not yet, at least.)

But on the off chance I'm not imagining it:

How much time has passed? The sweater Mel is wearing is different from the blazer she wore in episode 8.

Where is this happening? People are speculating that Mel is in the Memory TARDIS in this scene.

If so, is it possible it could be showing something that happened with Kate and the TARDIS in her response to Sutekh (i.e. at the start of the episode)?

What are the odds of Kate being possessed by Sutekh? (In the Classic Who episode where Sutekh is first introduced, he uses mind control and possession to control the Doctor and a few other characters (notably, this takes place at a home that later becomes UNIT's first location). If he wants to access UNIT's technology to do Sutekh stuff, possessing or mind controlling Kate would be his best bet.

The first shot of the promo shows someone dressed like Harriet Arbinger doing something to the TARDIS. Is it possible that Kate and/or other UNIT staff were forced inside, or went inside voluntarily, during their initial encounter with Sutekh and the TARDIS?

Even if this is Kate, could it just be a spectral/reflection-y image of her from a random point in the episode?

Or could her face be reflected in an object in the Memory TARDIS?

[double-0h-no]

Full Disclosure

This is my prompt fill for "kept secret" from the whump table, and 777 from the word count table, my personal nemesis this week.

Boy this was a bother. I don't know how the rest does it, landing on an exact word count, especially one below 1k. If brevity truly is the soul of wit, there's bad news for me. Huge thanks to @l219tj for supporting me so much, I don't think this would have gotten anywhere if you hadn't let me rant at you for lines on end. I hope you enjoy some domestic angst and finally some 00Q from my side.

CW this time around for vague discussions of medical issues, just to be on the safe side.

on ao3

A letter Q couldn't wait to open until he really was alone with no chance of James coming in starts a conversation Q would have wanted to avoid altogether.

"And you didn't think it prudent to tell me?"

Q didn't dare to meet James' eyes, so instead his gaze rested on the opened letter on their dining table.

"Do you know what I'd been telling myself these last weeks?", James went on. "I was so convinced you were either cheating on me, or selling off some blueprints, or following a lead on your own because M had told you to drop it, and a hundred more things, and at the same time I knew you wouldn't.

"Because I bloody know you, and you've never... You wouldn't do that to me."

And now he had, and there was no taking it back. Q knew he should have handled it better, knew that it was the one thing not to do with James. Keeping secrets. He swallowed harshly, but set his jaw.

"Did you really think you'd get away with it? Not telling me?"

And that rubbed Q the wrong way. "Get away with - James, I wasn't trying to - Of course I would have told you! If there was something to tell. But according to this letter," he grabbed it and held it up, "there isn't."

"Q, this is a gene test. I happen to know that this is one of the last resorts any doctor takes. They will take three MRIs before they do that. So for how long has this been going on?"

"Going - You make it sound like did have an affair!"

"Well, you do have an ex in Medical," James said dryly, and Q slammed the letter back down on the table.

"Are you serious right now?! I've been to - I don't even know any more how many appointments, and how many different specialists, and you seriously wanna call names now?!"

"And how am I supposed to know that?!" James matched his volume. "How am I supposed to know to how many specialists you've been?! I don't even know why you had a need to see them!"

"Well, good thing those tests came back negative, then, because it really can't be all that serious!"

James threw his hands in the air and started pacing. "Yes, just spiffing, because what I'm so concerned about right now is what the doctors say, or that you haven't told me!"

"What is your problem, then?!" A sudden movement followed by a loud clonk made Q realize that this time, he had shouted - and spooked Velma, who'd dashed to the safety of the cat tree. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Truth be told, he was beyond relieved that the test had come back negative, and all he wanted to do was cry with relief and ride out the endorphins, but now he was here, stuck in a fight with James because - well, because he'd fucked up.

"I'm sorry, James, I..." He took another deep breath. "When this first started, you were on a mission, and by the time you'd returned, Medical had jumped the first scare on me, and I... I both didn't want it to be true, and I didn't want you to worry for nothing. And it looks like it truly is nothing." When James didn't answer for several seconds, Q looked back up at him, but couldn't read the expression at all.

"I don't care about that right now, I -" James interrupted himself again and stared at him in utter disbelief. "How hard is it for you to believe that I might be worried about you?"

"Worried? James, those results are negative, there's no-"

"Is it gone?", James cut him off. "Whatever made you go to Medical in the first place. All those tests came back negative and we know that all that means is that Medical hasn't found a cause, not that you are alright. Because unless you are, yes, I am bloody worried."

Of course he wasn't. The test result had felt like a victory, as if this declared him healthy and all evil would fall away. But James was right. This only meant he still didn't know the cause.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Both for not telling you, and for snapping."

To his surprise, James snorted. "How often have I tried to hide an injury from you? I'm rather sure it was Bates who told you about the knee surgery. I'm still angry about this, but darling, it's... not the number one priority here. So. Do you want to tell me what's been going on?"

Q sighed, pushed his glasses up to rub his eyes and gestured vaguely at the sofa. "Alright. Let's sit down, I'll fetch some tea, and I'll tell you the whole story from the start."

[stargazerlily7210]

Hey! Bridgerton fans! Especially LGBTQ Bridgerton fans!! I feel like you should know about this?!

I just stumbled across this petition on change.org and it gave me really bad (homophobic) vibes.

Look, full disclosure, I'm not one of you yet, so I don't know what's going on in the show, therefore this could be nothing, but it gave me bad/homophobic vibes so i figured I'd share, just in case. Please know that I dont have any problems with the show, I just haven't watched it cause interpersonal/social/backstabbing/miscommunication types of drama stress me out too much, and as far as I can tell, that's a solid 80% of the plot. The Bridgerton fans who know me have already warned me that I'd have a bad time for those very reasons, and I trust them with my life, so please forgive my lack of Bridgerton knowledge.*

Anyway. All that to say, I haven't seen a single episode of Bridgerton. Literally, all I know is it takes place in a fantasy version of Regency England, the soundtrack is for the Lindsey Stirling/Piano Guys crowd, that Penelope is Gossip Girl/Lady Whistledown, and what can be gleamed about the season 1 plot from that one tiktok sound about newlyweds burning for eachother and suicidal ideation in mazes.

I am a Doctor Who fan, however, and therefore was made aware of the lack of/hope for LGBTQ rep in season 3.2 and beyond (I'm just assuming that word of Doctor Who's "Gay Bridgerton" episode has made the rounds on Bridgerton tumblr by now).

(I don't want to add the url because it just asks you to sign the petition, but if you want to find it, I figure it's easy enough to look up)

If you don't see why I worry this petition is fundamentally homophobic, here's a glimpse of the review section (where only those who have signed the petition can leave a comment):

Now, I recognize that this might be a misunderstanding and a 'not my pig, not my farm'/'stay in your lane' situation as someone outside the fandom who hasnt seen the show. But as a whovian who lived through superwholock, I know a thing or two about queerbating and how showrunners can respond/succumb to pressure from the fandom, this feels like the wrong kind of backlash, that's all.

[ingravinoveritas]

Go Wilfred! Love their shirt!

Hi there! Well, I did see this post of Georgia's yesterday, and there is a lot happening in this picture/post, of which Wilf's shirt is just one small part, and I definitely have a lot of opinions. Full disclosure, however, before I delve deeper: I am an only child, and my parents have been married for over 50 years, so I am by no means an expert on sibling relationships or blended families. What follows are only thoughts based on my own observations.

For those who didn't see Georgia's post (and I was a bit delayed in seeing it myself, due to the holiday here this week), she posted the photo below of her and David in the DW era, one of her as Jenny, and the family photo above, in that order. This was then followed by the below Insta story of a picture of Ty inside a Dalek:

What really struck me about this post is that Georgia posted that family photo and wrote the caption about Doctor Who giving her a family...and yet Ty is not in the picture. She very, very easily could have chosen a picture that Ty was in, but seemingly purposely chose not to, and the optics of that alone are questionable. It is my understanding that, in many blended families, the stepchild (in this case, Ty) is sometimes treated differently than the "biological" children, for any number of reasons. Yet David has never once treated Ty as anything other than his own, never once referred to him as his "stepson"--only as his son. So the impression that this post gives is that Georgia thinks of her family as the one she had with David, and Ty somehow "doesn't count" because he was from a previous relationship ("new" family vs. "old").

As I mentioned before, I am not at all an expert on blended families, but I feel as though my impression of this post was further bolstered by what we see in your screenshot @kime11e--Ty commenting asking where he is, and Georgia calling him "needy," followed by her posting that photo in an Insta story as almost an afterthought. I'm just very confused by what kind of mother calls her own child "needy" for wanting to know why he's not in a family photo, because it seems rather cold and heartless on her part. Could this be some sort of inside joke/banter between Georgia and Ty that I am entirely missing? Absolutely. But as we know, in jokes are only funny if we're in on the joke, and the fact is, we have seen Georgia make similar comments about her other children (calling Birdie a drunken accident, lest we forget) so that, to me, suggests this isn't a one-off occurrence.

Which then brings me to Wilf and their shirt in this picture. It is definitely a great shirt, to be sure. And I truly do love that Wilf seems to be so supported and accepted by their parents for exactly who they are. What I keep thinking about, though, is that Wilf is 10 years old, and is starting to or about to start going through puberty and that journey of finding out who they are. I remember how difficult and painful and scary that journey was, navigating the turmoil that was happening inside my body and my mind. The difference, however, is that I went through all of this in private, but Georgia is putting Wilf's journey out on Instagram for the world to see.

What also seems strange is that none of the other kids are wearing shirts that advertise their sexual orientations. Again, this is not about shame, or saying that Wilf should have to hide who they are--and I cannot overstate how beautiful it is that they have such a loving family and a safe place to be themselves, especially at such a young age. It's about the fact that David has been/is being targeted by lunatic homophobic and transphobic bigots in the UK calling him a "groomer" and all sorts of foul and disgusting insults, and I just worry that singling Wilf out in this particular way could have unintended negative consequences. I know folks will say that that seems ridiculous or paranoid and that Wilf of course has people who are looking out for them...but their own parent is the one who posted this on Instagram. And once something is on the Internet--pictures or any personal information--it's out there forever.

So, yes. Those are my (not at all intended to be controversial) thoughts on this new post from Georgia. I know I could be completely off and misinterpreting all this, so I welcome comments from my followers with their thoughts and impressions about all of the above...

[hot-take-tournament]

Now that you've had orange joe I wonder what other awful food combinations we should subject good ol buddy hot take to!!!

actually, full disclosure, this isn't the first weird food thing i've tried from this blog

so, i posted that vocaloid vs chicken smoothies poll on september 12th, and like most people i voted to rather drink a chicken smoothie than say vocaloid was bad

but, like, let's be real; i know that i said i would drink a chicken smoothie for miku, but i was just talking a big game, it's not like i'd ever actually drink a chicken smoothie irl

well, later that week

one thing you might not know about me is that i have pretty severe issues with appetite (it's a medical thing); sometimes i really struggle to keep solid food down without throwing it straight back up, and even though it varies from day to day, it's gradually gotten worse over time - it's a lot worse now than it was even earlier this year

but even though i knew it would probably be a problem eventually, to be honest i never really thought it was that big a deal - i just wasn't hungry as often. so i didn't really care

but a couple days after i posted that poll i went to see a therapist who is a specialist on this stuff, and she said i was visibly underweight, even through two layers of baggy clothing - and i said, ok, sure, maybe i'm thinner than most people, but it's not that bad

so, she asked me to guess what weight i was, like i was one of those goats at the fair; it hadn't been that long since i was last weighed, so i said 65kg, definitely lighter than most people of my height, but still my usual weight

well, turns out i'm actually only 58kg now

and now my stupid ass is stuck on a strict diet designed to help me put on weight and slowly increase my appetite back to what it was - but since i can't always eat a full meal of actual food, i need to get most of my nutrition in other ways

and you want to know what my doctor recommended?

chicken smoothies

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Parker Molloy at The Present Age:

In recent weeks, Elon Musk's comments about his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, have reignited debates about gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Musk claimed he was "tricked" into supporting his child's transition and that the "woke mind virus" had effectively killed his “son.” However, Wilson's own words and experiences tell a starkly different story — one that underscores the life-changing benefits of gender-affirming care and the importance of listening to transgender individuals themselves.

Musk's high-profile statements come at a time when several U.S. states and entire countries are pushing to criminalize gender-affirming treatments for minors, and some political commentators are suggesting that adopting anti-transgender stances could be electorally advantageous. Yet these positions fly in the face of established medical consensus and the lived experiences of transgender individuals like Wilson. In this article, I’ll examine why Elon Musk is wrong about his daughter and gender-affirming care, drawing on Wilson's own statements, scientific research, and expert medical opinions. I'll explore how Wilson's story actually provides compelling evidence for the positive outcomes of gender-affirming care, and why political efforts to restrict such care are not only cruel but fundamentally misguided. Ultimately, I'll make the case that medical decisions — whether regarding gender-affirming treatments or other personal health matters, such as abortion — are best left to patients, their doctors, and in the case of minors, their parents, rather than being dictated by government legislation or political expediency.

Vivian Jenna Wilson's Experience: Living Proof of Positive Outcomes

Wilson's story provides a powerful counterpoint to her father's claims. Far from being "killed" by gender-affirming care, Wilson is a 20-year-old college student who has found the strength to speak out against misinformation about her own life. In her first public interview, Wilson directly challenged Musk's narrative. "I think he was under the assumption that I wasn't going to say anything and I would just let this go unchallenged," she stated. "Which I'm not going to do, because if you're going to lie about me, like, blatantly to an audience of millions, I'm not just gonna let that slide."

Wilson's account of her relationship with Musk starkly contrasts with his public statements. She described him as an absent father, stating, "He was there, I want to say, maybe 10% of the time. That's generous." When he was present, Vivian recalls him as "cold," "very quick to anger," and "uncaring and narcissistic." She recounts incidents of Musk berating her for exhibiting feminine traits, including an instance in fourth grade where he "was constantly yelling at me viciously because my voice was too high." Contrary to Musk's claim of being tricked into authorizing her treatment, Wilson asserts that he was fully informed when he consented to her gender-affirming care at age 16. She states, "He was not by any means tricked. He knew the full side effects," explaining that Musk read the medical forms at least twice before signing them.

Her journey also illuminates the typical timeline of gender identity realization and disclosure. She came out twice: first as gay in eighth grade, and then as transgender at 16. This aligns with research showing that many transgender individuals realize their identity years before disclosing it to others, countering notions of sudden or externally influenced gender identity changes. The positive impact of gender-affirming care is evident in Wilson's ability to live authentically. She emphasizes her autonomy and self-determination, stating, "I am an adult. I am 20 years old. I am not a child. My life should be defined by my own choices." This sentiment echoes the goals of gender-affirming care: to allow individuals to live as their true selves and make informed decisions about their bodies and identities.

Wilson's experience also highlights the crucial role of family support. While her relationship with Musk is strained, she speaks positively about her mother's support: "She's very supportive. I love her a lot." This underscores the importance of accepting and affirming parents in the well-being of transgender youth, a factor consistently emphasized in research on outcomes for transgender individuals. Moreover, Wilson's ability to pursue higher education and advocate for herself demonstrates resilience and personal growth. Her willingness to challenge misinformation about her own experiences, even in the face of her father's global platform, shows strength of character and a clear sense of self.

[...]

Science vs. Ideology in Transgender Healthcare Policy

The current political climate surrounding gender-affirming care for transgender youth is fraught with tension, as evidenced by the recent Supreme Court decision to hear a case on state bans of such care. This legal battle represents a broader conflict between scientific consensus and political ideology, with potentially far-reaching consequences for transgender individuals across the United States. As of July 2024, 25 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. These laws have been passed despite the fact that such treatments have been available in the United States for over a decade and are endorsed by major medical associations. The disconnect between medical expertise and legislative action is stark and concerning.

In this context, it's particularly troubling to see suggestions like that made in the New York Times's The Morning newsletter. Writer David Leonhardt urged presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris to adopt a position on healthcare for trans minors that would restrict the type of access that Vivian Jenna Wilson received.  [...] The Yale white paper discussed earlier directly contradicts Leonhardt's characterization of the European medical consensus. It points out that while some European countries have recently reviewed their policies, there isn't a uniform European medical consensus against gender-affirming care for youth. Many European medical bodies continue to support such care when appropriate. [...]

Embracing Evidence-Based Care and Individual Rights

Throughout this examination of gender-affirming care for transgender youth, several critical themes have emerged. Wilson's personal journey stands as a powerful testament to the positive outcomes of such care. Her ability to live authentically and advocate for herself directly contradicts her father's claims about the harm of these treatments. Importantly, her experience aligns with the broader scientific evidence supporting gender-affirming care. This scientific consensus, as detailed in the Yale white paper and numerous studies, provides a strong foundation for the benefits of gender-affirming care. Improved mental health outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and remarkably low rates of regret are consistently reported. It's no wonder that major medical associations, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society, all endorse gender-affirming care based on this robust evidence.

Yet, we've seen how this evidence can be misrepresented. Claims that gender-affirming care is harmful or lacks scientific backing often distort the true scientific consensus. The critique of the Cass Review in the Yale white paper illustrates how selective interpretation of data can lead to misleading conclusions, underscoring the importance of comprehensive and unbiased analysis. The current wave of legislative restrictions on gender-affirming care represents a troubling intrusion of political ideology into medical practice. These laws not only contradict medical expertise but also risk causing significant harm to transgender youth who rely on these treatments for their well-being. Even more concerning are suggestions that political figures should adopt anti-transgender stances for electoral gain, as proposed in the New York Times newsletter. Such proposals prioritize political strategy over the health and rights of a vulnerable population, raising serious ethical concerns.

As we look to the future, it's imperative that we prioritize evidence-based care and individual rights. Medical decisions, whether about gender-affirming care or any other health matter, should remain in the hands of patients, their doctors, and in the case of minors, their parents. Government interference in these personal decisions, especially when it contradicts medical consensus, sets a dangerous precedent that extends beyond transgender healthcare. The upcoming Supreme Court case on state bans of gender-affirming care underscores the national significance of this issue. As this legal battle unfolds, we must continue to amplify the voices and experiences of transgender individuals like Wilson, whose firsthand knowledge of the benefits of this care is invaluable. Musk's statements about his daughter and gender-affirming care not only cause personal hurt but also fly in the face of scientific evidence and the lived experiences of many transgender individuals. The political efforts to criminalize this care are both cruel and misguided, potentially denying life-saving treatments to those who need them most.

Parker Molloy with yet another insightful column on gender-affirming care and Elon Musk’s trans daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson.