Or be like, 'well, fine, let the radioactive space ticks do whatever the fuck they do to you - and they're radioactive ticks. From space. You know that shit isn't gonna be awesome for you.' And then sit back and cackle while he realizes, yes, plz, bath time now!
Oh, and it wasn't the gang - it was Cosmo and Rocket. But, still, too much of a group activity. Also, if anyone ever asks you if Rocket hates baths or radioactive space ticks more, the answer is baths. Always baths.
Yeah I would have thought someone could say "well, ok no bath - but we'll have to shave off all your hair" or something. Forcing a sentient adult being to have a bath seems kinda wrong somehow. Also you'd think he'd get indignant because it's kinda treating him like a pet.
In Texas we have big cattle ticks which I've had personal encounters with. Which, blerg. So the idea of radioactive space ticks is actually a great creative bit of creepiness.
And here's where I think the mischaracterization comes in. Most of the time Rocket doesn't act like a pet. They were playing off the 'he hates baths' for giggles, but it's really just insulting. (I did mention I have an obsession with him from the movies, and this book specifically mentions his cybernetic implants, so I'm assuming it's movie continuity.)
First of all, he seems adult enough to realize that in the close quarters of Knowhere and the Milano, that he has to be clean. Just not to smell. He's actually quite aware of a lot - what's been done to him, how wrong it is, how people treat him like a freak. He feels his own distance from people quite keenly - and although he acts like a big loner, he's always had someone, like Groot, and he does seems to seek out at least one companion. Groot being Groot may not be able to smell Rocket, or may choose not to, but he does need to be in public to do his job of bounty hunting and he gets on board with the Guardians pretty quickly.
All I'm saying is as smart as he is, and as isolated and conflicted about his isolation at times, you'd think he'd be aware that he needs to smell like he's showered at least. Whether or not he showers, baths, or... something else, y'know. And there's no indication that it's something else. So let's assume there is some cleaning ritual, and let's assume that at least in some places it's the fallback of water based cleaning rituals, how do you explain his hatred of baths?
Then let's go into tick removal. And I'm using animals, and in fact pets for some pretty basic reasons. Rocket has a pelt, so human tick removal doesn't have to deal with pelts. And pets because pet owners will be more concerned with getting ticks off animals than other people who don't deal with animals daily.
Nowhere does it say anything about throwing your pets in the tub, biting and scratching or not. So, this still failed on basic research, again, for the laughs. And threw Rocket under the bus to do so, and that is not awesome.
And actually, radioactive space ticks sounds scarier now.
Oh, and it wasn't the gang - it was Cosmo and Rocket. But, still, too much of a group activity. Also, if anyone ever asks you if Rocket hates baths or radioactive space ticks more, the answer is baths. Always baths.
In Texas we have big cattle ticks which I've had personal encounters with. Which, blerg. So the idea of radioactive space ticks is actually a great creative bit of creepiness.
First of all, he seems adult enough to realize that in the close quarters of Knowhere and the Milano, that he has to be clean. Just not to smell. He's actually quite aware of a lot - what's been done to him, how wrong it is, how people treat him like a freak. He feels his own distance from people quite keenly - and although he acts like a big loner, he's always had someone, like Groot, and he does seems to seek out at least one companion. Groot being Groot may not be able to smell Rocket, or may choose not to, but he does need to be in public to do his job of bounty hunting and he gets on board with the Guardians pretty quickly.
All I'm saying is as smart as he is, and as isolated and conflicted about his isolation at times, you'd think he'd be aware that he needs to smell like he's showered at least. Whether or not he showers, baths, or... something else, y'know. And there's no indication that it's something else. So let's assume there is some cleaning ritual, and let's assume that at least in some places it's the fallback of water based cleaning rituals, how do you explain his hatred of baths?
Then let's go into tick removal. And I'm using animals, and in fact pets for some pretty basic reasons. Rocket has a pelt, so human tick removal doesn't have to deal with pelts. And pets because pet owners will be more concerned with getting ticks off animals than other people who don't deal with animals daily.
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/getting_ticks_off_dog.html
Nowhere does it say anything about throwing your pets in the tub, biting and scratching or not. So, this still failed on basic research, again, for the laughs. And threw Rocket under the bus to do so, and that is not awesome.
And actually, radioactive space ticks sounds scarier now.