#AP Chess

[sumanchess]

A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.

🇮🇳 Happy National Sports Day ♟️

[fandom-menace]

Star Trek & Star Wars chess comic covers

[ammineniudaykumarnaidu]

Consistency and Persistency is the key to success. Meet the Under-11 Champion : Sahrudh M P Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality. ANANTAPUR DISTRICT UNDER-11 OPEN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP -2023 CHAMPION: SAHRUDH M P 5/5 Points Congratulations to all my dear students from A1 CHESS ACADEMY for the fantastic performance in the championship. Special wishes to Aasrith Kumar 4/5 Points and Tanvitha Reddy 3/4 Points. Wishes & Regards A1 CHESS ACADEMY +91 9581250686 #champion #Title #Chess #Championships #Warriors #Winners #AP #ATP https://www.instagram.com/p/CpZMCmZpAAr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[the-witchhunter]

DP x DC Adoption fic

Okay so what started as a crack idea actually makes more sense than it should

Danny gets adopted by the Brain and Monsieur Mallah

Now you may ask yourself: why would Danny get adopted by the brain of a French mad scientist and an intelligent French gorilla, both of who are founding members of the brotherhood of evil?

Well thank you for asking because

A) it’d be really funny

B) the Brain and Mallah are canonically a gay couple, have been a couple in the comics since 1990, as weird as it is they’re kind of cute together. Check this out

Like it’s oddly cute and I want to see more of them living in domestic bliss

C) Danny is already used to living with mad scientists for parents, this honestly wouldn’t be that big of an adjustment

D) I think they’re mostly retired and living out their days together currently?

E) Mallah could beat Vlad at chess and that would piss Vlad off

F) Danny has an affinity for gorillas and frankly it would be hilarious if every ape that sees Danny tries to adopt him

Mallah, holding Danny up by his armpits: But Brain, Mon amor, just look at him

Danny: *Hisses*

They also appear on my adventures with Superman if you just want some media that shows their relationship

Idk I think in a reveal gone bad they could really work, retired mad scientists are better than mad scientists trying to dissect him

PLUS THEY CAN HAVE A MAD SCIENCE OFF

Fentons come at them with weird sci fi gadgets, they have different gadgets ready

Some good ol’ mad scientist on mad scientist violence

LET THE GORILLA AND BRAIN GET GAY MARRIED AND ADOPT A GHOST

[hornedstorys]

POTA Caesar x Reader - Hunting - nsfw

Warnings: playful hunting, nsfw, sex in the forest, primal instincts, friends to lovers, breeding behavior (?) claim

Content: Caesar and you really enjoyed playing your games, even though it was really hard to beat the king. But you had a new idea of ​​what you could play. Catch, in the forest. However, it awakened Caesar's primal instincts a little too much. - takes place a little before the second part - English is not my native language

German Version

Snorting and a little offended, you sighed and leaned backwards on your hands. He's done it again.

"How many rounds was that today?" you asked grudgingly, looking at the chessboard on the floor in front of you as if you were trying to find a gap where a mistake was hiding. But you found nothing. Caesar snorted in amusement and watched your scrutinizing gaze.

"Twentieth," grunted the ape king, a slight smile forming on his lips. It amused him how annoyed you were that he had won again. You glared at him.

"Stop smirking! You win at everything we do," you groaned and let yourself fall backwards, onto the cold floor. The evening sun filtered through the treetops and tickled your face. Caesar looked at you intently. The light caressed your eyes, your skin and your hair looked like it had thousands of glittering stones woven into it.

"Why… does it bother you… so much?" he breathed brokenly and continued to scrutinize you with an open gaze. You licked your lips and straightened again. Your eyes focused on his. You were probably the only one from the colony to have a staring contest with the Alpha. But it was no challenge for Caesar. He knew how easily he could kill you and how much power he had compared to you. But he would never forgive himself if anything ever happened to you. Be it by his hands or someone else's.

"I don't know…, maybe it just bothers me that firstly, I can barely keep up with the monkeys and secondly, I myself get beaten by a monkey in a human game…. Twenty… Times."

Caesar's gaze softened. He knew it wasn't always easy for you to be a part of this community. You were just different, you were human. You had trouble climbing, little patience for fishing, and too weak to hunt when food was needed for the tribe. You came to the colony when it was still quite new. You quickly made friends with Caesar and he was happy to take you under his wing.

He had so quickly developed a protective instinct around you, even on the first day you met. You were alone in the forest. Your shelter was a hollow tree, but you had few survival instincts and you weren't in particularly healthy shape, having only fed on berries and roots.

"You're nimble… Picking berries," he gestured with words and partly with the sign language of monkeys. He still sounded a little broken, but you understood. Your jaw tightened and you tapped your fingers.

"That's no great feat," you snort, biting your lips. His eyes followed your movement. He was mesmerized by the way you handled the situation. It was common for you to bite your lips when something was nagging at you. But he couldn't help thinking that he really liked his lips. They were different from the lips of apes. More beautifully shaped, fuller, more color.

Caesar had often thought about you when you weren't around him. You were often near him, you became best friends and talked a lot, especially about life among the humans. You ate together, played chess or he even showed you how to fish, even if you still had problems with it. He also taught you how to learn sign language. And you did indeed learn quickly. With every month that passed, he realized how important you had become to him and somewhere deep inside he felt an attraction to you.

But he didn't get his hopes up. You were a human and he was a monkey, you wouldn't want him. At least that's what he had convinced himself, but he couldn't always resist your scent. Humans were so changeable in their scent. Some days you smelled almost sweet, other days spicier and on your really bad days you smelled like blood. He knew this 'period' from his old life with Will. His partner had that smell too.

Gently, he placed a heavy hand on your shoulder. His gaze was soft and you returned it with a smile.

"You belong... with us. No matter… whether human… or ape," his words touched you and a comforting warmth rose up inside you.

"We'll play tomorrow… again. Think about what. Or… you want to lose again… Against Caesar," he grinned and his gaze became cheekier again as he teased you. You grimaced and stuck your tongue out at him. You would think of something and maybe you already knew what.

The next day you sat with Maurice and stuffed berries and nuts into your mouth. Maurice's eyes followed you with amusement.

"You seem excited," he signed, grinning. You grinned and replied back: "I'm planning to finally beat Caesar today." Maurice became even more curious at this statement and you explained your situation to him.

"You won't stand a chance. Caesar knows the forest well, he can climb. You… Not," Maurice almost sounded a little worried, but you saw it differently. You thought to yourself that maybe it was also a good opportunity to push yourself beyond your limits. To find out what else you could do, apart from picking berries and sign language. And if something happened, Caesar would help you. You were pretty sure of that.

Then you finally saw the shadow you had been waiting for. Caesar was standing in front of his cave entrance, looking down on the colony. He always did that to get a rough idea of the situation. Your gaze scrutinized the male monkey from top to bottom. His dark fur, which shone like gold in the rising sun, his large, rough hands, his strong build. He was quite big for a chimpanzee. You didn't know exactly how big, but when he stood up straight he was at least 1.70 meters tall. His thick arms looked tense and you wondered how they would feel under your small hands. Or his fur. Was it soft? But the thing that fascinated you most about this monkey was his shiny green-gold eyes. They sometimes unintentionally cast a spell over you and sometimes you lost yourself in them.

You shook your head to let go of your thoughts. It wasn't right. He was your best friend and also your leader. Besides, he certainly wouldn't be able to do anything with a human woman. You weren't an ape, you had no fur or strength and you certainly couldn't bear him any offspring. A feeling of uselessness came over you again and you swallowed hard. You didn't realize someone was approaching you until you felt a warm, thick finger on your cheek. It was Caesar, looking at you encouragingly. His soft face and his gesture gave you reassurance.

"You've been… Thinking about the game?" he asked, extending his hand to you. You took it without hesitation and he helped you to your feet. Briefly, you bumped against his chest. It was so firm against yours and the smell of smoke and rain hit you. It smelled like home.

"Yes," you breathed and curiosity flashed in the chimp's eyes.

"Let's play catch."

Caesar's look changed. As soon as you told him what your game was for today. He seemed introverted for a moment, but didn't break eye contact with you once. He knew what playing tag was, young monkeys did it, human children. Yes, he had even seen older humans do it too. But this catching was something else. It was sometimes used as a mating ritual. It started playfully. The female ran away from the male and he had to catch her. This could go on for hours if the female was good at catching the male. But once the male had caught the female, the game was over and a different kind of game began.

Of course you didn't know. Caesar never intended to tell you about the tribe's customs, why would he? The thought of another male from the colony courting you didn't sit well with him at all and hot jealousy rose up inside him. His jaw tightened, but quickly loosened again. He exhaled deeply and tried to control his thoughts and feelings.

"Are you… sure?" he asked, just to make sure you really wanted to. Even though he knew this wasn't a mating ritual. He hadn't courted you, nor had you expressed feelings for each other. You were friends and you were a human, he was a monkey.

You nodded and he gave you a few minutes to run ahead. He knew you would need that time.

A deer was grazing by the side of the path, but your quick steps startled it and the next moment it had disappeared into the thicket. You had already covered a good distance, but you knew that Caesar would catch up quickly. You thought about hiding, but would that do any good?

A crack caught your attention and the primal fear rose up inside you. He was close. You quickly ran on, each rustle making you nervous and flinching. You climbed up a hill with bushes. Your lungs were burning and you almost lost your balance, but a nearby branch saved you.

You were running out of breath and you couldn't even estimate how far Caesar was from you. You didn't even realize that green-gold eyes were watching you through the thicket. You leaned against a tree and caught your breath. Caesar watched you with dilated pupils. His pulse nearly collided and his heart pounded almost uncomfortably against his chest. His breathing was heavy and he could see your pulse beating, the sweat running over your skin and the way you greedily inhaled the air.

He really had to hold back. The hunt had awakened his primal instincts and he could feel the excitement spreading between his legs. Your scent didn't make it any easier for him. His hands clawed at the leaf-covered ground and his jaw tightened. Thoughts buzzed around in his head like annoying mosquitoes. He realized again how much he wanted you, how much he liked having you near him and that he wanted nothing more than for you to stay with him forever. As a companion. It didn't matter to him whether you could carry his cubs or not. It was more important to him that you were well and that you were with him.

He slowly crept forward, towards you. He was only a few meters away from you and your scent grew stronger with every step. His hand slid lightly over the curve of your hip and you flinched. Like a deer, you hopped to the side and bounced back against the nearest tree.

"Caesar," you breathed and gaped wide-eyed at the monkey in front of you. How long had he been hiding in the undergrowth? He must have caught up with you a long time ago, but he hadn't caught you. You saw the lustful look in his eyes and it made you nervous. Caesar approached you and you were trapped between his broad chest and the tree. His warm breath brushed your face and you closed your eyes. You quickly realized that maybe this hunt was a bad idea after all. It seemed to have awakened his instincts. You no longer thought about the fact that somewhere he was still a wild animal that sometimes just followed his primal instincts.

His hand tightened around your neck and you swallowed. What would he do now?

"Looks like you've won again," you tried to joke and cover up your nervousness, but he could smell how nervous you were. He could feel the rapid pulse on his fingers. His intense eyes searched yours and he fixed you with an almost wild gleam in his eyes. It excited him a little too much, to his liking, the way he had you trapped there. His mind told him 'no, don't do it', but everything else was screaming to make you his, to mark you and fill you with his seed so that every ape in the colony would know you were his.

His hand came away from your neck and he could see you exhale. Gently but firmly, his fingertips stroked your collarbone, then suddenly he ripped your top in two and tossed it thoughtlessly aside. You swallowed, your heart beating so hard against your chest that you felt dizzy. You knew you couldn't stop him. He would take what he wanted. He was the king.

"Good enough for King…, for Caesar," he growled, as if he could read your mind and your eyes widened. He thought you were good enough for him? You gasped as suddenly his rough hand grasped your breast and kneaded it lightly. He knew that humans couldn't just be parried like that, with the wrong preparation he could hurt you. He had to prepare you, but your attainment smelled so strong he almost thought it wasn't necessary.

His dark eyes slid to your pants. They disturbed him and the next moment they were gone too. Now he grabbed you gently but firmly by the shoulders and pressed your chest against the broad tree trunk. You gasped as the rough surface teased your buds. That sound only made Caesar more frantic. His thick fingers slid down and he could immediately feel the wetness seeping from your pussy. He growled. You were so ready for him now and he hadn't even done anything yet.

"Ready…, for Caesar," he growled lecherously and low, pressing his chest against your back. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment and you gasped with pleasure as one of his fingers slowly slid inside you. Oh God, it felt so intoxicating and it made your senses so hazy. Your eyes glazed over and a gasp slipped from your lips as he curled his finger. The heel of his hand rubbed over your sensitive clitoris, and you moved against his finger as you moved your hips.

His, now wet, finger slipped out of you and was now definitely rubbing your clitoris. You moaned and pressed your fingers into the tree bark until it hurt. It felt so good, so right, it was exciting. You greedily pressed your hips against his fingers and wanted more of that touch. Your legs trembled and you could feel your orgasm approaching, your moans growing louder. Caesar's heavy breathing spurred you on even more and the next moment, you were moaning loudly and gasping for nothing. But you wanted to feel him inside you so badly.

Caesar grabbed you by the hips and forced you to your knees, you obeyed him, your king. Trembling and wet for him, you lay down on the floor. Your ass stretched in his direction and your pussy glistened from your cumming. The chimp didn't give you time to breathe, he leaned over you and slowly but deeply penetrated you, a soundless gasp escaping your throat.

He stretched you like no one else could. His grip on your hips was firm and iron, his fingernails clawing into your flesh, but the pain turned to pleasure. His hips slammed hard against you and deep grunts erupted from his throat. His mind was foggy with the drive to breed you, to make you his, and it drove him crazy how wet you were and how he could still feel the slight aftershock of your orgasm. You took him so deep and it just showed him how willing you were to let him fuck you.

Your moans were music to his ears and he drove his cock harder and harder into your wet hole. He sensed that he was close too and growling, almost roaring, he unloaded his seed into your abdomen. Breathing heavily and with trembling legs, you looked over your shoulder, directly into his eyes. You could see that softness in them again, but this time there was something else. He had made you his and he gently took you into his lap. He didn't even care that his semen was leaking out of you and seeping down his thighs.

"Both…, won. I think," he purred, his pointed canines running over your sensitive neck. You gasped as his warm tongue licked the sweat from your skin. You clung to his fur and looked up at him with flushed cheeks. His gaze held you.

"Bonded now… for life," he breathed, gently caressing your breasts You sighed and closed your eyes in pleasure. Your hand gently ran through the fur on his cheek. He trusted you, to anyone else he would probably have torn off the hand that approached his face.

"Play…, has awakened primal instincts…. . Did…, I hurt you?" His voice sounded a little worried now and you smiled at him.

"No, Caesar. I'm fine, I really enjoyed it and…" you faltered to find the right words, "I've had feelings for you for a long time. But I always thought I wasn't good enough for you." The ape looked at you uncomprehendingly and shook his head.

"You're good enough…, for Caesar…, whether ape or human," he paused and admired the gleam in your eyes for a moment.

"Was worried… you don't want to, Caesar…. not," he confessed and your eyes widened as you heard his words. You couldn't believe Caesar would think such a thing. How could you not want him?

"I would always choose you, Caesar. Of all the apes and humans on this planet, I would always choose you," at these words his eyes brightened and he looked at you in disbelief, then his pupils widened again and roughly, but carefully, he laid you down on the forest floor. He looked at you eagerly and you could see his arousal growing again. You were definitely not going to get away from him and you didn't want to.

[descendantofthesparrow]

ROR rewrite; Chloe Charming-prosthetic leg reference

from Chloe's character sheet for my ROR rewrite Chloe Charming; Daughter of Cinderella and King Charming, Chad’s little sister. Chloe was born in 2005 in Cinderellasburg and without her left leg, Chloe has a full prosthetic leg which is high-tech/high-performance thanks to magic/money. Chloe was 14 when the barrier came down in summer 2019 and started at Auradon Prep that same year. Chloe quickly joined a lot of the clubs and activities at Auradon Prep, eager to have a busy schedule as she was used to that and needed routine. She’s in the fencing club and a part of the ROAR team(eventually becoming captain), along with being the head of the planning committee for school events, the debate team, the Badminton club, the disabled athletic clubs, the book club, and the chess club. She takes pride in her accomplishments and is known to be very competitive and proud of herself(thankfully; everyone thinks, she’s far more humble than Chad ever was when he went to AP)

[cj-k]

Lucy is a curious and explosive girl, she likes to learn new things, in the bunker they taught her that knowledge is power, that is why she likes to read and fill herself with information, she taught her brother to read to share that love of reading. Although she hates humans, she does not want to sacrifice herself for humanity due to the torture she suffered, she prefers to live in peace with Yayo and search for treasures from the past.

Yayo is more calm and fearful, he doesn't like adventure, he prefers to make fabrics or play chess, but he is usually attentive to his sister and her trips. Despite having the opportunity to return to his family, he cannot do it without Lucy, although he usually frequents the clans to teach them board games or food, he still always returns to his sister after bartering in the communities for food or clothing.He keeps his sister hidden out of fear of other humans or apes, therefore he is very overprotective. This causes many fights between the two, even physical ones.

extra :3

[my-castles-crumbling]

Of Romance and Play Practice

@wolfstarbingo2024 - square: nerdy Remus - rating: G - no warnings - word count: 974 - based on @probs-reading's HC - AO3 link

To this day, Remus still couldn't figure out how they all were friends. They took up vastly different social circles. Like a smaller version of the Breakfast Club, he, Sirius, James, and Peter were as opposite as could be. James was the school basketball star, cheerleaders constantly hanging off his elbows (much to his boyfriend, Regulus's, disgust). Peter ran the yearbook, and was never seen without a notebook and a camera. Remus, of course, was the textbook definition of a nerd: he was the president of Chess Club, and took more AP classes than all of his friend combined. And Sirius....Sirius was perfect.

Sirius was the star of the theater program, having finally figured out how to put his dramatics to good use. He lived for the stage, and the audience ate him up no matter what his role. Of course, Remus ate him up, too. Or at least, he wanted to.

They'd all been friends since elementary school. Perhaps that was why they were able to stay close, no matter their differences. But Remus's crush on Sirius had developed quite recently, and for some reason, he couldn't shake it.

Perhaps it was the way Sirius oozed confidence. His smile was absolutely contagious and it made Remus literally weak at the knees, often times he had to sit down after Sirius grinned at him. Maybe it was the way he felt safe with Sirius. Though they loved to tease each other, Sirius never judged him when it mattered, and they'd been friends for so long, they knew each other as well as they knew themselves.

Of course, it helped that Sirius was fit as fuck.

But that wasn't it. It was...Remus couldn't help but feel warm when he looked at him. It was a bit disgusting, really.

But one night, when Sirius asked him to help run lines for the new play he was a part of, Remus agreed, because he wanted to help. He figured eventually, this crush would go away, so he should just continue spending time with Sirius like normal, acting like nothing was different. But when he read the name of the play, he froze.

"Erm...Romeo and Juliet?" he asked Sirius, who was sat on his bed, shucking his leather jacket and making himself comfortable.

"Mmm," he hummed noncommittally. "Good thing McKinnon's as flaming as I am, or I'd be dreading the kiss," he grinned, waggling his eyebrows.

And of course. Of course, Sirius needed him to practice running lines for the most romantic play in the fucking universe. What else?

"Alright," he murmured, sitting nervously on the edge of his own bed, as far from Sirius as possible. "Erm, what scene?"

"Let's start..." Sirius flipped through the script, stopping at a page and pointing. "There. I'm having trouble with the emotion, to be honest. If you could just read for McKinnon, that'd be amazing."

But Remus's stomach flipped as he looked over the script, recognizing the scene. The fucking balcony scene?

"Erm, alright," he nodded, trying to pull himself together. "How camest thou hither- er - tell me, and wherefore? Erm, the orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art, of any of my, erm, kinsmen find thee here," he recited disjointedly.

Sirius chuckled and responded fluidly, "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls. For stony limits cannot hold love out." His eyes were wide, genuine, and Remus became entranced as he listened. "And what love can do, that dares love attempt. Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me."

It took Remus a second to realize he was done. That it was his turn to respond. Because hearing Sirius speak of love like this, it was doing things to him. "Oh!" he nearly yelled as Sirius gave him an expectant look, jumping a bit. "Erm. If- if they to see thee, they will murder thee. Fuck, this is intense, huh?" he commented, scanning over the script.

Sirius laughed and ignored his comment, going on, "Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords. Look though but sweet, and I am proof against their enmity." He said those words with a small smile, eyes on Remus's.

"I...I would not for the world they saw thee here," Remus nearly-whispered, looking at the paper and back at Sirius, who was still watching him with a strange look in his eyes.

"I have night's clock to hide me from their eyes," he whispered, moving closer to Remus- and when had he gotten so close, they were side-by-side, now!- grabbing his hand lightly. "And, but thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."

Remus swallowed, drowning in the look Sirius was giving him, squeezing his hand and allowing the heat and tension to wrap around their bodies. He wasn't imagining it, was he? Was Sirius feeling it, too? The way the very air was pulsating, urging him to move forward, to bring their lips together?

He hoped so.

"Sirius," he murmured, his head hazy, hardly bothering to look at the book, too distracted by the moment.

But Sirius seemed to be contemplating something. "Move not while my prayer's effect I take," he murmured, causing Remus to wrinkle his nose in confusion, before Sirius leaned forward, hand grazing over Remus's jaw and pulling their lips together.

And it was like fireworks. Hearing Sirius talk about love with the words of a poet had just made Remus's crush bloom into something more, and he couldn't resist grabbing for him, wrapping his arms around the other boy, pulling him closer until they were completely entangled in each other, their lips and teeth fighting for control of the best kiss Remus had ever had in his life.

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Chesssss

[mysterious circle of robed figures] JK Rowling: hello children Rowling: good newss Rowling: we've jusst achieved a major victory! Rowling: transs women are now banned from competing in chesss b/c of their biological advantage Rowling: i know this ssounds like a joke but for real

Rowling: for too long have transss women unfairly dominated the world of chesss Rowling: with their incredible wrissst ssstrength, they're jussst too good at picking up thossse little piecesss and moving them around

Helen Joyce: the phenomenal wrist strength of trans women, like some kind of mad jungle ape, is a threat to the petite fragile bird-boned cis women of chess, so really the only logical response is to kill them all Rowling: yess yess thisss sscansss

Jesse Singal: dark lord! dark lord! pick me! Singal: i can think of another rationalization Singal: i mean reason Singal: for banning trans women from chess! Rowling: yesss? Singal: they're born men, right? so that means they're smarter Rowling: Rowling: yess that sssounds right

Rowling: it'ss true, men do naturally have ssmarter brainss, too ssmart for biologically dumber women to compete with Rowling: therefore we need to ban transs women Rowling: we're really sstriking a blow for feminissm here aren't we? Helen Joyce: lol don't ask me, i'm just a girl

JK Rowling: alssso trans men have to forfeit all previous pre-transssition victories Rowling: no reasson for that one, jussst to be dicksss really

JK Rowling: our official terf death eater posssition isss now that women are biologically dumber than men Helen Joyce: sounds great! Maya Forstater: that's right! Julie Bindel: [with red tape over mouth] Hmmm! Allison Bailey: we demand to be taken seriously!

[rockatanskette]

Semi-related to my post on how human conservation practices, but I have a cold today, and it's got me thinking about biological altruism—the biological imperative to put other creatures ahead of yourself, to benefit the group.

When talking about possible interactions with other species, we talk a lot about humans being crazy and thrill-seeking and impossible to kill. Never use a warning shot as an incentive to keep humans out of a fight; it'll just make them angry. And that's true. But a valid criticism I've seen in the "Earth is a death world" community is that according to our understanding of evolution, every planet must be some form of death world. Competition fosters evolution—the wolf with sharper claws survives when its litter mates die. You can't reach space travel without some casualties along the way.

But the dog survives because it makes friends with the strange ape carrying a sharp stick. And the strange ape survives because it befriends the wolf. Underneath the death world is an inextricable and undeniable layer of the bond world; the love world; the world, together.

I imagine some worlds are not death worlds. They're peaceful and tranquil. I suspect there are worlds far more deadly than Earth, where the skies rain diamonds, harder than any substance we know with the species to match. And I imagine that they are united in their confusion at the duality of humankind.

Today is a great example: I have a cold, and I want someone to take care of me, but the people who would are immunocompromised, also sick, or live 8 hours away, respectfully. I also want no one within the walls of my apartment or I will eat them. I feel gross, I feel tired, and I don't want a single human being anywhere near me, even if they did bring soup.

In my constant scrolling through my phone today, I decided to look up why the hell I feel so bad—why everyone feels so bad when they're ill. And the answer surprised me. I always thought it was because your immune system is active, so it's using a lot of your energy. That is part of it. Another part is that your brain and body are communicating across the blood-brain barrier to fight the infection, which is rare and energetically expensive.

But that doesn't explain everything, and according to more current research, it could also be what's called the Eyam Hypothesis: that we feel so gross, so we instinctively isolate from other people. We're too tired to deal with others, and so we don't infect them. Misanthropy for the good of the species. Of course, it can also backfire: one of the criticisms of the Eyam Hypothesis is that humans also instinctively care for each other. If my brother has a headache, I drive to the store for Advil.

Personally, I think it's a little bit of both: biological altruism. Either way, the majority live on. The first thought I had this morning when I woke up wasn't "I feel gross" it was "there's no way I'm going to work today." And while that might not be everyone's first thought, you don't even have to be a particularly altruistic person to not want to leave your home or your bed when you're sick. It's inborn.

And so when the human named Ismail comes down with a case of the interstellar common cold, his alien friend Dyos grows very concerned. Ismail is usually intensely social, almost off-puttingly so. Some crew members joke about how his quarters are for sleeping and prayer only; if he's home alone? You should be worried. But when Dyos demands an answer to the severity of Ismail's malady, the other humans just nod knowingly.

"Nah, he's okay, the medics already cleared him. It's not a severe infection."

"But there are so many...fluids. And his body has changed color."

There is a moment of confusion there until they remember that Dyos's species can see in the infrared color spectrum.

"Nah, that's just a low-grade fever. It should break in the next couple days."

"But he doesn’t want to play chess today," Dyos insists.

"Ohhhh," says human Claudia, finally understanding. "No, that's normal. Humans don't like being around other people when they're sick, it's supposed to be one of the major evolutionary advantages. Protect your community from your illness and the genes live on."

"So we're just going to leave him alone?" Dyos is troubled by this. He can go for weeks without speaking to another life form, but he has seen Ismail grow despondent when unable to participate in social gathering.

"Oh, no," human Claudia says, laughing. "We're going to employ one of the other most longstanding human evolutionary advantages."

There are many to choose from and Dyos settles on, "middle age?"

"Sort of," human Claudia opens up a small shipping container and holds up a brown paper bag tied with a colorful ribbon. It glows brightly in Dyos's vision, almost as brightly as human Claudia's smile. "His nanni's hot soup, express delivery."

[wheatnoodle]

i hope s5 gives unnamed freak a name. that’s so fucked up of them. he’s in the show just as much as gareth and jeff and yet he’s the only one without a name?? even jason’s friend andy got a name! but here’s the one fat kid in the show that they aren’t going to even give a name and instead list as “unnamed freak”.

he has lines! and nobody, not even his supposed friends in the show, mention his name once. they said “let’s be body inclusive yet still show he’s not really a character!”

so, here’s some of my hcs for unnamed freak.

-his name is grant vanderburg

-he’s in the same grade as jeff and takes honors and ap courses for anything science and history

-grant sucks at math, but luckily that’s where jeff is great so he gets help from him at lunch sometimes

-he is the only person able to physically hold eddie down when he’s all wired up

-was on the wrestling team in middle school

-grant has a girlfriend named jessica who’s in the chess club and the mathletes and they’ve been dating since 7th grade

-he has an older sister, gwyneth, who’s 10 years older, married, and has two kids (he’s an uncle to his niece, 4, and his nephew, 3)

-grant’s dad passed when he was 2 while serving in the military so he has no memory of him and has been raised by a single mom

-his mom is AWESOME, she’s a chef at a restaurant up in indy so she’s constantly bringing home leftovers and sending grant to his friends with tupperware of home cooked meals

-grant was named after his dad and used to want to go into the army to follow him before he started to distrust the government come 8th grade

-his bass came from his grandfather on his dad’s side who, despite living across the country, would fly over and help out as much as he could when things got too much for beth (his mom)

-if music doesn’t work out, he’s considered being a pilot or going to work with his mom in the restaurant business

-he’s the friend that waits for you to tie your shoe while everyone else keeps going on ahead

-sometimes jessica will play a campaign with them and she crushes absolutely everyone involved

-he 100% has a pet lizard named henrietta and is allergic to dogs

-also has a peanut allergy

-he is just as important as the rest of his friend group

[theunholyvirginemilyprentiss]

THE BAU YEARBOOK

EMILY PRENTISS

Emily was a keen participant in the Exchange Student Program and a member of Model UN. She was voted ‘Most Likely to Flee to a Foreign Country’. Her favorite subjects were French and Social Studies. Her friends described her as ‘witty, defiant, and a little terrifying’.

“When I die, I want the people I did group projects with to lower me into the ground so they can let me down one last time.”

JENNIFER 'JJ' JAREAU

Prom Queen JJ was co-captain of the Soccer Team. She was voted ‘Miss Congeniality’. Her favorite subjects were Phys Ed and English Literature. Her friends described her as ‘sweet, compassionate, and athletic’.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. - Wendy Mass”

SPENCER REID

Spencer was president of the Chess Club and was Mathletes team captain. He was voted ‘Most Likely to Either Cure Cancer or End the World’. His favorite subjects were AP Math and AP English Literature. His peers described him as ‘quiet, awkward, and freakishly intelligent.’

“Iodine (I), Holmium (Ho), Phosphorus (P), Electron (e-), Thorium (Th), Iodine (I), Sulfur (S), Phosphorus (P), Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Boron (B), Uranium (U), Radon (Rn), Sulfur (S).”

PENELOPE GARCIA

Penelope was president of the IT Club and founder of the school’s AV Club. She was voted ‘Most Likely to Hack the FBI’. Her favorite subjects were AP Computer Science and Home Economics. Her friends described her as ‘cheerful, friendly, and geeky.’

“Remember that email you didn’t send to 10 people? Mark my words, that will come back to bite you.”

DEREK MORGAN

Prom King Derek was the quarterback of the school Football Team and volunteered for the school’s Basketball Team for At-Risk Youths. He was voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’. His favorite subjects were History and Psychology. His friends described him as ‘smooth, supportive, and charismatic.’

“Shoutout to my hallway crushes, you know who you are.”

ELLE GREENAWAY

Class President Elle was a member of the Track Team and the Debate Team. She was voted ‘Hottest Student’. Her favorite subjects were AP Gov and Philosophy. Her friends described her as ‘assertive, ambitious, and desirable.’

“I’m not really funny, I’m just mean and people think I’m joking.”

[newyorkthegoldenage]

At 14, Brooklyn's Bobby Fischer was one of the country's youngest chess tournament players. In this photo, taken on June 21, 1957, he is about to move his queen during a match at the Manhattan Chess Club.

Photo: Hans von Nolde for the AP via CBS News

[ammineniudaykumarnaidu]

Congratulations to all my dear Champs from A1 CHESS ACADEMY for the fantastic performance in the Anantapur District Under -09 Open & Girls Chess Championship -2023. Anantapur District Under -09 Girls Chess Championship-2023 Runner Up: Jaahnavi Muthyala Also wishes for all the other participants, Samanyu Nandan Chowdary, Deepanvitha, Pranavi Sai, too for their participation& best performance Wishes & Regards A1 CHESS ACADEMY +91 9581250686 #Chess #Champions #Winners #Always #Best_Chess_Training #Coaches #Chess_Trainers #Guntakal #Anantapur #AP #Telugu_States Top -2 will be representing our Anantapur District in AP State Under 09 Open & Girls Chess Championship -2023. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpF3rVopr4s/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[siryouarebeingmocked]

SYABM comic 70 “Donation Aggravation”.

[ Older comics | Chronological order | Subreddit ]

Some people get really mad about a computer asking them to give pennies.

AP says this meme is false.

Customer donations aren’t income, legally. So they can’t be ducked from the company’s tax bill.

Tax Policy Center says the same thing, and points out that consumers forget to deduct their donations.*

This meme was apparently popularized by, of course, TikTok.

Also, if they get a tax break, so what? 

The point of that is to encourage charity and social benefit. If you care more about the tax break than whether they’re actually helping anyone, I think your priorities are skewed.

And getting a tax break means the company has more money to spend on stuff like...the charity. Or employee raises. Or just staying open.

I know the implication is that they must be insincere, but it doesn’t actually prove anything. It’s just point-scoring.

I recently saw people complaining that Panda Express falsely takes the credit for their charity, which is entirely funded by donations from customers and employees. PE Cares openly and explicitly says so on their website.

PE also covers the admin costs for PEC. All of them.

And as someone pointed out, they could just as easily...not have the charity. In fact, it would be easier.

Heck, during the Hawaii Wildfires, PE donated meals to first responders and displaced people. And, oh yes, they matched donations to the Red Cross.

...It’s a “Cancel” button. 

Those are often different from regular choices, so people don’t click them accidentally. Heck, sometimes they’re made that way so they’re easier to see.

No 5D chess subliminal messages required.

And if you’re so easily influenced that a button color can change your mind, that’s on you.

“Saying your assumptions about us are wrong are gaslighting, even when I have no actual evidence  I am also confident that everyone does this, which justifies my assumption that any given company does this.”

It’s especially irritating because gaslighting is about perception. But assumptions are not actual perceptions, and perceptions are wrong all the time.

I also saw people in the Youtube comments complaining about grocery store food waste, because apparently stores love to waste money, and are not influenced by picky consumers or legal concerns (PDF).

I’ve argued with these types before, and naturally, they defaulted to attacking me instead of my argument. Didn’t even pretend to have any actual evidence. Unlike me. Just doubled down.

And, again, what does this have to do with charity?

Plenty of companies actually, quietly donate everything to charity that they can. But that doesn’t make the news as much. Sometimes because that leads to people trying to take advantage.

Incidentally, during the Texas blackout a few years back, one grocery store tried to donate their food to a charity. Except it was physically impossible for them to get there before the food expired, due to the bad weather.

People saw the store throw out the ruined food (under police guard), and said the store was selfish.

One Youtube comment said the Bible claimed people shouldn’t give openly. Okay, but that’s about self-aggrandizement and egotism, not just asking for donations and trying to set an example for others, out of actual caring.

I think the real motive is a combination of anti-corporate NPC hate, and the desire to attack the requester instead of admitting they just don’t want to donate.

And I gotta wonder what the overlap is with the folks who insist billionaires can “easily” afford to pay taxes that are more than what many people make in their entire lives, because it’s a small amount relative to their total wealth.

* Did see someone once claim that people pay higher taxes for donating. They may have been referring to people not knowing they can deduct donation. Which is, um, not the company’s fault. At all.

Behind the Scenes: This is the first comic drawn in Krita that I’ve animated. In fact, it’s my first Krita animation, ever.

And unfortunately for me, Krita can’t animate Vector layers or groups. I only figured that out after a literal hour looking up tutorials (which didn’t help). And it’s a tad irritating, because I often use vector layers AND groups.

So I had to manually create each frame. Three different elements with three different timings. Had to break out the paper and pencil and plot it out.

Kinda fun, actually.

This is also the first commentary in a long time that I didn’t write before I finished the comic. In fact, I’m doing it completely raw. All I had was the saved image and a link to the Youtube thread in question.

Comic Inspirations:

That one freakout scene in Bocchi the Rock.

The kiosks at my local McDonald’s.

Whatever this is;

[hornedstorys]

POTA Caesar x reader - turning Page Part 1

It's been far too long since I've seen the films! It's time to change that! I hope you like the story anyway. And I have no idea how many parts this story will have. Maybe 2-3?

Warnings: sfw, very slight closeness, friends to lovers, slight angst, slow burn - english is not my native language

Content: You were Will's cousin and lived with him. You and Caesar grew up together and loved playing together. But you got older, feelings changed, just like events in the world.

German Version

When you heard the news from Will that he had rescued a baby chimpanzee, you almost died of curiosity. You really wanted to see the baby!

You were downstairs at the front door so quickly and pulled it open before Will could even think about putting his keys on.

"Where is he?" you asked hastily and Will laughed, then you noticed the box in Will's hands.

"Is it in there?" you were about to look for yourself, but Will just managed to block you and shook his head in amusement.

"Take it easy, (Y/n). Let me come in first, then I can introduce you to him."

Him? So he was a boy, you thought to yourself and followed Will into the kitchen. Your eyes followed the action excitedly. Then finally Will opened the box and a little chimpanzee appeared, blinking at Will and you with curious golden-green eyes.

You almost fainted at the sight of the baby. He was so cute! Carefully, the little one stretched out his tiny hands and with wide eyes you pushed your finger towards him. He accepted it gratefully.

"He's really cute! Is he going to stay?" you asked and Will nodded: "For now, yes. I couldn't possibly leave him in the lab." You nodded understandingly and didn't take your eyes off the little monkey.

"What's his name?" you asked and Will shrugged.

"Caesar," Will smiled and you looked at the little Ape with big kid eyes.

"Hello Caesar!"

It was amusing to watch Will trying to be a surrogate mother to little Caesar. You tried to help as much as you could, even though you were only ten years old. Still, you tried to help and take care of Charles, well at least you tried to talk to him and play games with Charles. But his Alzheimer's didn't get any better.

You felt so sorry for him and it seemed like it was getting worse every day. But you had no idea about the plans Will was making, you didn't even know what exactly was going on with Caesar and what the researchers in the lab were doing with the Apes, maybe you were just too young at the time to understand. You had fallen too much in love with the young Ape that you cared for so much that you only had thoughts for him. He was growing so fast and learning so quickly. It fascinated you.

With a heavy snort, Caesar let his breath slide against your neck. You giggled. You had just been playing tag, but Caesar was much faster than you.

"Stop it Caesar, it tickles!" the little monkey made happy noises. You sat with him at the dinner table. He was so clever, he had already understood how to drink from a bottle of milk when he was only one day old. Now he was nibbling on a few apples and looking at you with shining eyes.

Three years later, Caesar had learned to use the toilet. Which surprised and amused you at the same time. He got cheekier and started teasing you by breathing against your neck. He knew it tickled you. But then you had your moments where you tried to beat each other at chess.

He was always one step ahead of you, he always won. And sometimes, when you were lucky enough to win, you could see something in his eyes. Something mischievous, but also something gentle. He let you win on purpose. You really had the feeling that you were sitting in front of a human and not a monkey.

Will did tests with Caesar in between. He was just as fascinated by his intelligence and wanted to test it. You looked at the whole thing with a critical eye, because you saw from Will how the monkeys were treated in the laboratory and also how Caesar's mother Bright Eyes was killed. The monkeys were not seen as living beings, but as guinea pigs.

"This time I win," you growl, sitting opposite the monkey who looks at you mischievously. You had another game of chess and this time you thought you would finally win. You made your move and were so close to winning, but your hopes were dashed when Caesar made his move. Your mouth fell open and you almost fell off your chair.

"You've won again?" you shouted in disbelief and hit your forehead on the tabletop, not too hard of course. This monkey had now beaten you for the fifth time in an hour. He was so quick with his moves, while you took a little longer. Caesar grunted in amusement and you looked at him in offense. He was making fun of you, great.

Soon Will's girlfriend Caroline joined us. She had helped you with Caesar, she really knew a lot as she was a vet. You went for a walk together in the park with Caesar, Charles and Will. The young monkey really blossomed when he was out in nature and he wasn't even afraid of dogs. You soon found that out when Caesar snarled and stood up to a German shepherd who didn't even know what was happening.

Caroline and you got on really well and you were also glad that you were finally not the only woman in this male household. You were no longer a child but a teenager, your body was changing and so were your moods. As a result, you were more easily annoyed by Caesar's games. He had got into the habit of teasing you and testing your limits. But you couldn't blame him, after all he was getting older too and entering a kind of puberty.

Still, he was gentle with you, he had never hurt you before. His every touch was deliberate and controlled, he could well appreciate that his strength was so far above yours that he could kill you with ease. Of course he didn't want that. He liked you, you had grown up together and you were family to him.

It was another one of those days when you were sitting in the garden reading a book in the evening when everything was quiet. You were far too focused on the book that you didn't notice the shadow in the neighboring trees and how it dropped to the ground with ease. Soft footsteps came closer to you and suddenly someone breathed gently on the back of your neck. Startled, you dropped your book and pinched your neck where you felt the breath so Caesar wouldn't have a chance to do it again.

You giggled and gave him an offended look. Wait a minute! You got up and walked towards him. You tried to tickle him too, but Caesar was quicker and dodged your hand. He liked this game. Caesar was faster than you and before you knew it, he grabbed you by the hips and pushed you against him. His green-gold eyes met yours and there was silence for a few seconds. You just looked at each other.

His eyes fascinated you, they looked so human and yet different. Those golden speckles in his eyes glowed and you only noticed it now. His hard chest was warm against yours and he too seemed lost in your eyes. His gaze was equally pensive.

"Caesar," his name came through to him and he liked the sound of you pronouncing each letter. Your scent wafted into his nostrils and he breathed in and out deeply. He knew that these feelings were only arising because he was changing physically. At least Will had explained to him that he could be going through a kind of puberty, much like humans. Was that why he saw you a fraction differently than he had the years before?

The barking of a neighborhood dog snapped you out of your thoughts and Caesar's grip loosened, but it took ages. Your pulse beat against your neck and his eyes fixed on him. He only now saw how soft and fragile your skin seemed and how easily he could break through it with his sharp canines. He had never noticed it when he was younger. He had seen you differently and now. You've changed, you've grown up and… He shook his head quickly and turned away, disappearing into his room.

You looked after him, puzzled. But he left you with a comforting warmth that frightened you.

But that evening was just the calm before the storm.

You watched Will's car drive away with tears in your eyes. He and Caroline had taken Caesar and they had just left you behind. They knew you were just trying to free Caesar and now they were taking him to a monkey house. You slumped on the floor crying, holding one of Caesar's T-shirts in your hands. It still smelled like him. He really did have a pleasant scent.

You closed your eyes, then you made a decision. Days later, you secretly grabbed Will's car keys and took his car. You drove to the monkey house where Caesar was supposed to be living now.

The blond guy who took you to him wasn't exactly sympathetic and you scowled at him as he stared at your neckline. Still, he had taken you to Caesar's, but it had cost you the last of your cash, which you had to hand over to this idiot to get him to take you to Caesar's.

When you arrived at Caesar's cage, you froze. He was sitting in the corner, his gaze fixed silently on the wall. You stepped closer to the bars and gripped the cold metal with your trembling hands.

"Caesar, I'm here," you spoke softly, hoping it would calm him down a little. When the monkey heard your words, he immediately jumped up and walked quickly towards you. He didn't take his eyes off yours for a second. Your hand slipped through the bars and gently stroked his cheek. His head leaned into your touch and you felt the tears gathering in them. He looked so exhausted, but you could see how the fire in them hadn't gone out yet.

"I'm so sorry," you breathed and a tear escaped your eye. His big thumb gently stroked it away and his eyes looked at you with affection.

"Not your fault. Caesar, was bad," he gestured and you immediately shook your head and contradicted him: "You are not a bad monkey, Caesar! You are the gentlest and kindest monkey I have ever met!" Again a tear rolled down your cheek and again the chimpanzee wiped it away. He was just trying to protect his family when this neighbor just couldn't control himself. Nobody wanted that to happen.

'You have to go,' grunted the monkey. He didn't want you to stay in this horrible place any longer, "I'll be fine," he gestured further. He saw the struggle in your watery eyes and that you were already thinking of a plan to get him out of there, but he didn't want to. He would find a way himself.

"I love you, Caesar. Don't forget that," you whispered and stroked the soft fur on his face again. You were the only one allowed to touch him there and he enjoyed that touch, and what he enjoyed even more were your words, even if he couldn't fully appreciate what you meant.

"Caesar loves you too, (Y/n)."

A few years had passed. The virus had taken everything from you. Will, your family, everyone. You had escaped when people went crazy. They started fighting for things, be it food or places to sleep. You were scared and didn't want to stay in the city any longer. You packed up what you needed and disappeared into the forest. The only place that was safer than the city.

As on many nights before, you sat by the fire and stared into the flames. You thought about the past and especially about Caesar. There wasn't a day when you didn't think about the monkey and you wondered what had become of him. The loneliness consumed you more and more with each passing day and your fear grew. The forest was dangerous and you were mostly lucky that no bear had caught you yet.

You survived by eating berries, although you had bad experiences with some of them. Some of the ones you found were poisonous and made you throw up quite badly afterwards. That was the last time you picked those particular varieties.

You sighed and rubbed your eyes against your forearm as you rested your face on your arms. Suddenly there was a crack in the undergrowth and you tensed, then the earth began to shake. Confused, you stood up, what was going on?

You looked around in panic as the first deer came towards you and with a wobbly leap you jumped to the side to avoid landing under the animal's hard hooves.

A few seconds later, more came. It was a mass panic that was triggered and it forced you to run. Your heart pounding, you ran through the undergrowth, hoping not to be trampled to death by the herd.

What had happened? What had startled the animals so much? You almost tripped over a root, but you quickly managed to catch yourself and keep running. But you almost missed the next danger ahead of you, a ravine. You wanted to stop, but one of the big deer crashed into you and you were thrown down with a scream.

You hit a rocky outcrop with a hard thud. Pain shot through you like a bolt of lightning and your head rumbled. Every movement burned and you were afraid to move, you didn't know if anything was broken. You tried to stay calm, breathing heavily.

"Take it easy, (Y/n). It's going to be okay," you tried to tell yourself, but you could feel how much of a lie it was and tears gathered in your eyes, you sobbed.

"Caesar…" came out of your mouth subconsciously and images from the past flashed up again and an arm with dark fur. He came towards you as if in slow motion. He looked so real. Your brows drew together and you stretched out your arm too.

Suddenly the arm sped up and in a flash the large, rough hand grabbed your wrist and yanked you upwards, followed by another hand. A cry of pain escaped your throat as your body began to burn again. You were laid down on the floor and your eyes blacked out for a moment.

A dark shadow hovered over you and green-gold eyes looked down at you, worried but critical. Rough hands scanned your body for injuries and a hissing sound came from your lungs.

Then you opened your eyes, the blurry outline above you becoming clearer and clearer until you could make it out. Your heart skipped a beat and your eyes widened.

"Caesar?…"