#Human Ape

[fl3shm4id3n]

ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴇ (ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪ): ᴛʜᴇ ᴀ.ᴘ.ᴇ. ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴍᴇɴᴛ

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 '𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝' 𝐡𝐚𝐝. 𝐁𝐮𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 '𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐬' 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭?

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ɪᴍᴘʟɪᴇᴅ ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴇʏᴇꜱ x ꜰᴇᴍ! ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ʜʏʙʀɪᴅ? ᴀᴘᴇ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ꜱᴏɴɢ: ᴋɪᴅ ᴄᴜᴅɪ - ᴍʀ. ʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ

TW: human and ape experimenting, illegal? experimenting, talks of torture, blood, brain swapping, bride of Frankenstein/Poor Things references, talks of death and taking risks, abuse, injuries, talks of war, blood, guns, murder, humans being assholes, Koba, Not edited.

Masterlist

The A.P.E. Experiment, was an experiment done by a private organization who deeply believed that both humans and apes are much closer then they're out to be. Since there was endless and endless of research that both species are technically the same. Except the humans are evolved and the apes aren't, yet they shared the same kind of intelligence.

That's why the A.P.E. Experiment took place. They actually wanted to prove and show how a human and ape can think the same things and be both as intelligent as they are. They've been several and several attempts, but there was always some kind of miscalculation or something going wrong. Not only that, but they test subjects would either die or not make it because of the risky brain transplant done by the scientist.

Despite those many fails, they kept on going. They weren't going to stop until they had finally manage to do what they were meant to do. Even if that involves the deaths of many humans and apes. Not only that, but they also worried about the money that had been founded into the experiment, if they didn't use it, then this whole experiment would have gone to waste. So they kept on going on again, again, and again, until finally after many attempts they had succeded.

You had no name, except for your serial number. Which was '013'. Technically, your name was 'H-Thirteen', but you were called 013. That number was tattooed onto your wrist ever since you could remember. You don't have much of a memory, since your brain had already been switched out not too long ago. The scar at the back of your shaved head was still somewhat healing. The procedure happened when you were 13 years old. The White Coats were nervous, they hoped that this time the transplant would work this time. After many attempts, none had succeeded. But this time. It had worked. Both you and the other Ape had actually survived the transplant. The White Coats were happy to learn this. Finally, after years of planning. It had finally worked.

Ever since you were given your new brain, you began to develop new behavior. Before, you'd talk verbally, now you sign or make ape noises as a form to communicate. When you'd speak vocally, you'd speak as if you were trying to form words. Like a child who just learned how to say words. You used to walk normally, now you walked slightly hunched and with your knuckles for support of some kind. Instead of standing, you'd be scrunched down, using your knuckles for support. Not only that, but you had grown canines. They were small, but they were visible. Besides those changes, your emotions had also change. When you'd be happy you'd jump around and be loud. But when you'd get mad, your snarl and hiss. As well as throw things that were near you. They were 'small' changes, at least to you yet the White Coats made it a huge deal.

The ape who's brain had been switched with yours, also began to experience changes. She now speaks verbally. Very human like, it was almost unbelievable. She walks and stands like a human. Even has human like emotions. Not only that, but the thing about this ape, was that she is your sister. You and her were both made out of the same DNA and grew in the same artificial womb. Also, when standing next to each other, you and her looked alike. A lot alike. Except, she was a ape and you were a human. That alone made it obvious that you both are twins, you and her were one of many human and ape twins. Except, the difference was that you and her survived the brain transplant. You and your twin were the lucky ones. Despite both your huge changes, you were both still different species.

The experiment continued. You and your twin known as A-Thirteen would often complete tasks on a daily basis. They were simply yet hard tasks to do, but you and Thirteen would complete them using your unique skills. The White Coats monitored everything. Took notes and videos of everything, for research and data. Yours and A-Thirteen's brain would often been checked up. Just to see it's development and how it's getting used to your new body. Since in the past, the other test subjects would either reject the brain or the brain would just die or even infect them, killing them. But your brain had got used to your spinal cord and body. It was shown how the brain had quickly got used to your body and the slight changes in your DNA. It had actually become your brain now. But not A-Thirteen, your twin's brain had become infected with some kind of bacteria. They tried to save her, but the infection had already spread out into her body, killing her. The White Coats were disappointed, but they were glad that you had survived. Which was good to them.

When you reached the age of 15. That's when the experimenting got aggressive. Wires would be poked into your scalp to test out your brain and would always make sure to check for any infections or anything abnormal, but it was all good. Not only that, but your body would be put in constant testing. You had no idea why, but you never asked because were made to believe that what they were doing was good. But, did that good have to be so painful?

You began to hate every bit of it. Having to be strapped into a bed, having wires put in your body, constant needles and fluids getting injected into your body. Those are of few tests done, there was more. But you preferred to just for get about them. At least you tried to forget about them. The scars on your body were a constant reminder of what the White Coats did to you. You attempted to rebel, refusing to do your daily tasks and would put up a fight when you'd be dragged into the lab for testing. Due to your rebellion, you'd get punished. Such as be locked in your room for hours without food or water. Same with being tased or get beaten by one of the White Coats. You hated it. All you wanted was for things to go back to the way they were.

At least, that's what you thought. In reality, you wished that you could be normal. Except, you weren't. Sure, you looked just like the White Coats, but your brain was the thing that wasn't normal. Often times you'd be told that you were special and that you'd do great things in the future. Except, you didn't want that. You wanted to do things that weren't going to the lab to be tested or doing tasks that you've already done. You wanted to interact with humans your age and just do stuff they'd do. Have a family, from what you learned, humans either had a big or small family from the books you read. They had a mother, father, a son or daughter. Even both or more. You wanted that, except. You didn't. You had no mother or father, you had a sister. You could never have what the humans had. You were kept in isolation. Never allowed to go outside, ever. The only company you had, was the company of the White Coats and A-Thirteen. But she was gone. You were now alone, with the White Coats.

ʏᴇᴀʀ 2026

You were now a 20 year old full grown woman. Things haven't changed at all. You were still the same person, in the same place with the same people. Nothing has changed, you were still being tested on and you still had tasks to complete. It was the same old routine, after five years. Everything was the same. Nothing has changed. You thought in the span of those years, something would change, but no. Everything was the same, it was getting tiring. Up to the point where you couldn't take it anymore. The routine was boring and nothing new. You hated it.

That evening, you doing your regular puzzle solving. This puzzles would get difficult and more complicated, but you always managed to complete them. Like always, you were monitored by five White Coats. Three taking notes, one recording with a camera and another just observing your every move. You began to hate being watched, you always had eyes on you. At least during the day, at night was the only time you had some sort of privacy. Even though you should be asleep, you stayed up late. To do your own things in your bedroom. Which was more of a cell. It felt like you were in a cage.

Once you were finished solving the puzzle, you were praised by the five scientists. Their praises used to make you happy, but now you could hear how forced and ingenuine they sounded. You hated when you'd hear them go 'good job!' or 'you did so good 013'. They talked to you as if you were still a child. You hated it. Your routine went on. You ate, you did your climbing and swinging exercises, and learned to speak new words.

Later that night, you went to bed. Except you didn't sleep just yet. You were hiding under your bed with a flash light, looking at the many pictures you drew. Of yourself, your sister A-Thirteen with a mother and father. They looked like a child's drawing, but you liked looking at the picture. Day dreaming that you'd actually have this. You often wondered what a mother and father would be liked. How would it be like to be cared for, along with your sister. You missed her, dearly. She was the only one who'd understand you and you'd understand her.

You'd also have pictures of yourself, but with hair. You really wished you could grow out your hair, but the White coats never allowed it since. Since having a buzzcut would make it easier for them to poke needles in your brain. You wanted long hair because you liked how it looked on the female White Coats and to hide the huge scar on the back on your head. And maybe, just know what it's like to have hair. But sadly, you couldn't. They'd never allow it, no matter what reason.

The next morning, you had been woken up earlier than most days. That was odd. As you got dressed into a newly cleaned hospital gown and a pair of white shoes. You were informed that you're going to a different facility. A different facility? That'd mean you'd go outside for the first time. You have seen the outside word, but behind a glass. You were never allowed to go outside until now. Where were you going? Who were you going with? Why were you leaving the facility after twenty years? You had so many questions that you wished they'd be answered. You had said your goodbyes to all the White Coats whom you've been with for all those years. Instead of feeling sad, you felt almost relieved. Glad that you were no longer under there care, which meant, no more experiments and no more of that routine you've grown tired of.

While you were being escorted out of the facility by the men covered in black, you had finally stepped foot outside. The fresh air and the wind felt new to you. Never in a million years have you ever smelled the air of outside and felt the cold wind hitting your skin. As much as you wanted to go and explore the wilderness you've read about, you couldn't. As you walked to vehicle, you couldn't help but look around you, getting a good eye of what you've been missing out. You wanted to feel and smell the dirt, even drink the water from the river, but you couldn't. You were required to move asap. You needed to be in another facility immediately.

The car drive was long and quiet, you were sitting down between two men dressed in black. It felt tense and stiff. It made you feel uncomfortable, but choose to remain as still as possible. You began to think about where you were going would be like. What kind of people you'd meet. Would they be more White Coats? How would those White Coats be like? Will they be other people that weren't White Coats? The questions keep pouring in. For most of the ride you just kept on thinking and thinking of questions that you know would never be asked. No one ever answered your questions.

After a while, the vehicle had stopped. In some part of the woods, it stopped so that you and the men in black could take a break. For fifteen minutes. You were allowed out. You were glad that they were nice enough to let you get some fresh air. As much as you wanted to explore the woods, you couldn't. You were only allowed to go a few feet away from the vehicle and had to come back after the fifteen minutes.

You walked around a bit, getting a view of the tall trees. They were much bigger then you thought. You couldn't help but feel how rough and hard the wood felt. It almost made you feel as if you wanted to climb it. Your attention then switched to the wet dirt, it must have rained the night before. It smelt nice, very comforting in a way that you never thought would bring you comfort. You reached down and took a small clump of it, feeling how soft and wet it was. It was nice, very nice to smell and touch. You wanted to see more.

So, you walked much further than you should've. Looking around more trees and even more dirt. But you also got the look of some plants and bugs you've read about in some books about them. Everything was new to you. You've always dreamed about going outside, just to see how it would look like. Now it was true, even if it only took you fifteen minutes, you wanted to enjoy every part of it. Since who knows how long it'll be if you ever go outside. You were loving the moment.

Then, you spotted a flower. It was a very pretty small and the color blue. They were called 'Forget-Me-Not', you've always wanted to see them in person, instead in book pages. You wanted to take some and maybe even keep wherever you were sent to. You got on your knees and plucked a huge amount of them. Once in your hand, you looked at them closely. Studying the color, shape and smell. You couldn't help but smile, when you looked at the small plants in your hands. You've fallen in love with them already. You were to focused on looking at the flowers that you didn't hear the men in black calling out to you. Finally, after snapping out of your thoughts, you heard them call you. As much as you didn't want to go, you had to.

You didn't notice that you were standing right near a hill, when you got up, your foot must have made a wrong move. That you ended up falling down the hill. You squealed and groaned as you rolled down the hill. After a few seconds, you had fallen into a river. The harsh water of the waterfall had dragged you down the riverbank, you got hit with rocks and branches in the water. You tried finding a way out, but the water just kept dragging you with it. Until you had finally spotted a branch and held onto it with all your strength. Despite being in pain, you managed to hold onto the branch. You were glad that you were okay. But the problem was, where did the river take you?

You managed to get out of the water and back on the ground. You were drenched. Your shoes and hospital gown were wet. You quickly felt cold. Your whole body began to shiver, so as a way to warm yourself up, you hugged your body. Your teeth were chattering against one another's and the wild got colder. You didn't want to stay there, you had to move. Maybe you could find the lab again, but you had no idea where to search. You've never been outside, so you wouldn't know where to start.

So, you just walked wherever you thought would help you, but no. You had no idea what to do or where to look. You were getting confused and unsure of what to do. Should you keep on walking or just stay where you were and hoped that they'd come find you. It was getting overwhelming. As you walked, you couldn't help but begin to breath a bit rapidly. You were about to go into a panic. You began to bite your finger nails, while your free hand was clenching onto the short sleeve on your hospital gown. It didn't help that you were cold because of your wet shoes and gown.

Suddenly, you tripped. Must have been cause you were walking fast and didn't see where you were going. Turning on your back, you looked down at your wet and dirt covered shoes. They were getting uncomfortable now. So you reached over and took them off your feet. Then threw them in a form of frustration. Not only where you lost, but you were cold and now barefoot. You let out a small frustrating snarl. That was something you'd do when you'd get mad. Afterwards, you got up from the ground, dusting off the dirt off your arms and legs. Your wet gown was now even more dirty. God, you hated what was happening now.

Then, you heard noises. Turning to see where they were coming from, you saw nothing. But you did notice some bushes moving as soon as you set your eyes on them. That made your stomach turn. Was something out there? Without a moment more, you began to walk again, but this time a bit faster. You could still hear bushes and leaves making noises, due to something hitting them. You grew into a panic, so you began to run, with the help of your knuckles. Hoping that you'd you'd go much faster. But again, you didn't see where you were going, and tripped again. This time you fell on your side, hitting your cheek onto the dirt, causing it to scrape. It hurt, a lot.

As you tried getting up, you heard bushes shaking and leaving hitting each other. You got up and looked around, trying to find the source of the noises. But you couldn't see them, except just hear them. You began to panic even more. What was it? An animal of some kind? If it was, what kind of animal? After a few moments, you spotted a pair of eyes. Blue eyes, to be exact. They were looking right back at you. That was odd, you couldn't tell if they were eyes of a human or an animal. They looked human, but they didn't feel human.

Slowly, they moved. Which made you back up a bit, now scared of what will come out. Carefully and slowly, they had finally stepped out of their hiding spot. It was, an ape. You've never seen another ape before. You were amazed by how he looked. As much as you wanted to get close, you kept your distance. You and the ape just stared at one another, almost as if you both wanted to figure out what you both were. After that small moment of silence, more apes began to pop out of their hiding spot. That made you panic a bit.

Looking around, you saw that they were a few more apes in all your directions. You had no place to attempt to run. Then, they began to approached you slowly. You grew scared, you had no idea what kind of intension they had or what they'd do. You back up, trying to find a way to run, but they was no place to run to. You began to fall into distress. You had backed up into a tree, you no had nowhere to go. As the apes approached you even more. You gone into panic mode. You began to scream and shout at them. Your screams of both fear and panic had caused them to stop in there tracks. They simply watched as you continued to scream in a panic.

What had caught their attention, was how your screams sounded very similar to theirs. They were very similar to an ape's scream. Eventually you stomped screaming, you crouched down and covered your head with both arms, breathing heavily and trying to catch your breath. As if you just wanted to disappear from that place. It grew quiet, all that was heard was your whimpers and heavy breathing. After some time, you heard someone approaching you, but you did not move from your position. You stayed where you were and didn't plan on moving at all. That was something you'd do when the White Coats would either beat you with a rod or tase you when you'd go ballistic.

You felt how a hand softly patted your shoulder. You still didn't move, until you felt the same soft pat on the shoulder. Slowly, you look ever the shoulder where you have been patted on. It was another ape, except. He looked much older than the one with blue eyes. You could see the bit of grey hairs around his chin and cheeks. His eyes were hazel like color, but they were more green. They too looked human, except they weren't. Just like the first ape you saw, you both locked eyes, staring at each other for a moment. You began to slowly calm down, for some reason you felt slightly better. Less panic and a bit more relaxed.

You then noticed how he reached his hand out to you. At first, you weren't so sure, whether you should take it or not. But after a bit of thinking, you took a hold of his hand. He then helped you get up from the floor. The ape was almost exactly your size. You weren't neither short or big, you were right in between. He seemed to also be right in between, but seemed slightly bigger than you. "You are safe." He said in a raspy but firm voice. You were still a bit shaken up by everything, but you were calm and collected. He continued to hold his hand, as a kind of comfort and to keep you calm. He then turned to the other apes, signing them that everything was alright and to stay put.

He looked back at you, seen that you were much calmer and relaxed. "Come." He said to you, lowly and comfortingly. You only nodded your head in response. After that was settled, he continued to hold your hand and processed to get you to follow him. So you did, you followed right behind him. Holding his rough hand. Then the rest of the other apes processed to follow behind you both. He must have been there leader of some kind. They listened to him when he singed them to stay put. But, your question was, where were you going? Where was he taking you? It didn't really matter to you at the moment. You just wanted to get out of that dreadful situation you were in just now. Hopefully where you were taken to, wasn't another lab of some kind.

ɴᴇxᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ

[bunjywunjy]

Bunjy, how close to a human liver do you need to have to eat chocolate? Can great apes eat chocolate? Can any other primate?

no, other great apes can't have chocolate, and other primates can't either! you need an actual hominin-line liver to pull this trick off, so humans and human ancestors only as far as primates go.

other primates can and do eat the flesh of the cacao fruit, which chocolate is made from, but chocolate is made from the seeds, aaaand those are where the cacao plant is hiding all of its secret and most potent poisons.

(theobromine. it's theobromine)

were a chimpanzee or smaller monkey to pig out on chocolate or cacao seeds, they could expect to experience hyperactivity, tremors, increased heartrate, seizures, and heart failure. in roughly that order.

"oh god! I should have stopped thirty seeds ago!! why did I do that!!!"

so you know what? sometimes it's good to be a human, actually.

"oh, boy! poison!! my favorite!!!"

humans stand head and shoulders above every other primate on earth when it comes to the enormous variety of foods they are able to eat without getting sick or dying about it!

but also just literally. humans are very tall.

okay that's all, good night love you

[mysharona1987]

They really are good at coming up with fancier terms than “ethnic cleansing.”

[cupcakeshakesnake]

As far as society is concerned, you are a chimpanzee.

[tinderbox210]

Noa and Mae + bonding

From Mae taking something important representing the bond between apes and eagles/clan from Noa, to Noa freely giving something important that's representing the bond between apes and humans to Mae.

[the-monkeies-girl]

I SO badly need a part 2 to Customary with Noa x reader 😭 pretty please!!!

I'M ON THE WAY DEARIE. I am so sorry it's so long but pls enjoy! Reblogs/Likes always appreciated. Maybe I make part three if anyone is interested! Thanks!

Title: Gone Hunting. Fandom: ( Kingdom of the ) Planet of the Apes. Rating: T. ( Mentions of blood, hunting game animals, animal mating. ) Words: 5.9K+ Pairing: Implied - Noa x Human! Reader. Summary: A week has subsided since you told Noa about the nature of romantic love. You wanted to avoid it, avoid him, but you had previously promised to go with him on a hunting trip. Was it a rouse for him to get you alone? READ THE SERIES HERE.

** Does Contain Mild Spoilers for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

-- -- --

It had been a week since your last in-depth conversation and you still found that you were unable to look him in the eye. Noa seemed to not notice, or maybe he did and just didn't care enough to do anything about it. After all, the seriousness of the conversation, the floating vibration that still cramped your fingertips when you thought about touching him, the hardness that found its way to your throat when you attempted any sort of conversation with him… It was disheartening to think, but you figured he just didn't care enough personally to pressure.

-- -- --

“Love doesn’t need to be understood,” You were talking to him in such a hushed tone of voice, something that wasn’t frequent with you and Noa turned his head to the side ever so slightly at the sound of it. Breathy, he would say it was… And very, very different from the self-assurance you often carried yourself with. Wavering around the corner of words as if you were unsure of what you were saying. You were avoiding eye contact again, Noa mused, half tempted to look over his shoulder at what you had locked your gaze on. Probably something off in the distance, a tree fluttering with the slight breeze that shuffled the fur on his body and the hair on your head. An Eagle maybe? Noa was consciously aware that his own feathery friend was sitting behind the two of you, unwavering in their loyalty to him. He wanted to be jealous of something you were looking at, but Noa found himself locked on to you, baited anticipation to hear that voice again, the way it was speaking to him. So soft, so gentle, so… so… Personal.

“Love just needs to be embraced.”

Noa had his hand up to sign but you had turned to the side already, shuffling as quietly as you could. Quiet, but it was deafening to Noa. Every fall of your foot, every breath you were taking deep into your lungs and releasing quickly, tucking your hair behind your ear, the mere friction of that… All sounds were beating down on him like the fists of another Ape. Had he… Done something wrong? Asked something wrong? It was now very obvious that you were done talking, pushed against the wall metaphorically and had nothing else to say to him.

He’d encountered this countless times in the few months that you had been here. But, your inability to go on and explain further left Noa understandably frustrated this time around. Not at you, never at you… He curled his fingers at his side and sat back on his legs, almost burning a hole into the back of your head with his eyes. You were now moving to get the horse you came on prepped for the small journey back to the village. Not that you needed to, it was just something to keep yourself occupied, away from the thought that he was perceiving your words in the way he wanted to. You left it vague enough to leave it up to interpretation, by all means.

Turning his head to the side, he looked at his Eagle and pressed a curled pointer finger to their beak. It was not too far of a trek back, you didn't need to adjust anything with the horse…But it was far enough away that you felt comfortable to talk to him openly. It wasn’t that you wouldn’t with others around, he figured that Echo’s arrogance would run wild and you would want to boast to the Apes about how things were. How things were better for Echo’s than Apes but you never did that. He also heard another concept about Echo’s and that was privacy. And out of all things, Noa knew that privacy in conversations was important. He never understood why; Apes were social creatures and most likely knew everything ( or close to everything ) about their neighbors without plight.

Maybe that was why Noa was so drawn to… He stopped his thought process there and shook his head. He was quick to rationalize. No, there was no reason to be drawn to any of this, but he didn't want it to stop. Noa was even quicker to give into selfish ideology. He was holding his hand out there in the deep dark, hoping to the highest heavens that your hand would reach his.

-- -- --

Tilting your head to the side, a deep sigh left your parted lips. That wasn’t like Noa, though… He wouldn’t adversely reach out to you unless you were willing to reach out first. That’s how it’s been since the beginning and that’s how it remained, you never wanted to change it because it made you feel wanted… Wanted by him…

Your legs felt like they were going to fall off and that derailed your train of previous melancholy. There was a nice river he knew about, about three clicks away and Noa used the excuse of going hunting to drag you with him. You didn't necessarily want to go, you feared being alone with him for prolonged periods of time but surprisingly… It was a pleasant enough ride there on the back of your loaned horse. You believed it to be Soona’s, and you were fortunate that she let you use it occasionally. Not much was spoken, a few phrases here and there spotted between actually talking and Noa signing at you one handed as he kept another hand on the reins of his horse.

The sun was high in the sky, almost midday you figured, peering up at it through the thick branches of the trees. There was a thick smell of condensation clinging to the leaves of said trees; it had rained the night before and deliciously drenched everything. Ironically though, as that thought escaped your brain, your mouth went slightly dry as you looked ahead, only a few feet away from the rider in front of you. He seemed to enjoy the wistful silence that fell around the two of you, his eyes shutting for a brief second as he enjoyed the sensation of the sun peaking through the trees, blotching his body. You noted that his fur seemingly changed color at that. From a dark brown to an almost honey brown. What you would have given in that moment to see him fully bathe in the sun.

Grasping the reins tightly, you beckoned your horse a bit faster. There was a subconscious desire to be near him despite what happened. Hell, you thought to yourself and let a small blush take over your cheeks, you’d have ridden on the back of his horse if he had asked you. Of course, if he turned to face you and noticed your expression, you had a quick response. It was chillier than most days, and that was the smoking gun. You’d blame it on the cold hitting your cheeks. Simple.

But, with yourself already tangled in the thoughts, you proceeded on. You imagined that idea… Sitting so close to him, your chest to his back, heart beating quicker than you cared to admit. Your face resting against his shoulder to look forward, almost the same perspective as Noa himself… You desperately found yourself clinging to that aspect. To see what he saw, to know what he knew, to… To feel what he felt. Now, as you had gotten closer, you could see the evident water droplets lining along his broad shoulders. He must have bumped into a low sitting tree, maybe a bush, that distributed its lovely rain water against him. You could smell in your vivid imagination, how he must smell… Deeply ingrained dirt under fingernails, the Earth below your feet, toes curling into the sand, the brisk whisk of a hazy morning standing in a field of wheat by yourself, the allotment of sun brushing against delicate skin… That prospect alone left you feeling incredibly heady.

‘Here,’ He signed quickly, simultaneously slipping off his horse as he communicated. You were jealous of his ability to multitask like that, it was never your forte. But, Noa must have been doing it his entire life. He was taught to do that, taught from those around him… Observation was a good thing, you learned that from him. You knew that he liked to fidget things in his hands, but he was seamlessly able to sign in between that and not lose track of what his hands were doing before. You swallowed softly, being snapped viciously out of your fantasy.

Giving him a slight nod, you intently watched as he rounded his own horse and glanced up at you with those soft green eyes. Your interest was raised surely, but it was haltered when you got a full glance at him. He had his usual garb on; the cross-body sack, a few empty walnut shells tied near his shoulder with twine that would tickle his cheek if he looked over that twine encasing what appeared to be a leather band, worn from frequent use. He had it just in case he found something of interest to take back to the village, the band on his arm, yellow and orange in nature with a soft accent of tan, with adjacent and colorfully complementing feathers to show his status. They were strikingly blue and vibrant against the brown fur on his bicep, tightening anytime he would move his arm.

The band alone caused you to pause. Noa was large, larger than you by far. Not necessarily taller than any other Ape, but broad and encapsulating, and you found your eyes following him if you were in the company of others. He was the leader, and that band on his arm was more than a slap in the face at times. You remembered in most Ape clans it would be considered a luxury that he was the one personally taking you to go hunt. From the throes of hierarchy itself it was a privilege.

Noa’s eyes momentarily caught the sunlight, appearing more gold around his pupil before shifting back to their regular green as he pushed himself up to stand bi-pedal. They were gorgeous, even without the light hitting them.

‘Been here many times, with Soona and Anaya.’ Noa smiled fondly at that, letting his eyes shift away from yours to take in his surroundings. Wishing to do the same, you found yourself staring at him a moment too long before catching on that you needed to dismount your horse, needed to get your things together from the sack on the back of your horse. There was an assortment of berry bushes to your side, some appearing much more ripe than others. Black berries were sorely abundant and your eyes traced the light shapes of them against the green leaves that they were almost camouflage in. It was just now the beginning of spring, it made sense that some were ready and some were not. But, by your powers of deduction, you gathered that you were not berry hunting. ‘Easy hunting for an Echo.’

His silent words made you feel a swell in your chest. He was being… You didn't dare say considerate, but that’s what it felt like. Perhaps, more accommodating than anything else. After all, you were just a human to him, and he had nothing to gain from being considerate, but had much to gain by gaining your trust so he was more accommodating by nature. At least, that’s what you told yourself as you rested your hands on the base of the horse's shoulders, giving a sharp breath in as you hiked your legs over the side. If you were paying any attention to your surroundings instead of intensely focusing on not slipping, on not looking like a fool, you would feel a set of burning eyes watching. Observing… Obsessing…

Noa tilted his head with a gruff sound, too deep in his throat for it to be caught by your ears from the distance he held himself. Specked, almost amber-like gaze caught hold of your hands, how dainty they appeared to be compared to his own, your legs, how agile you were being, surprising for an Echo, he chuffed to himself. You were usually not like this, not balanced. He had once seen you slip on ice, which replaying inside of his mind was mildly amusing. He didn't help you up that time, and simply watched as you stumbled, trying to sign in between your slips. You could have asked for help, but you didn't. He wondered why from time to time until you explained to him embarrassment. Then it made more sense.

And ever since, he tried to keep a more mindful eye on you, on your movements; Of course, to make sure you didn't fall. He heard that Echo’s were not durable, not strong like Apes and a fall in the wrong way could cause intense problems. That’s just what he told himself though. If he were being more transparent, which he was not being, he’d have to succumb to the act that he needed to keep you protected out of his selfishness.

“Need help?” He verbalized, your feet dangling for a split second before you finally landed on the ground. A grunt left your lips with the action, your knees burning ever so slightly as weight was put back on them. Brushing your fingers along the side of the horse to calm them, you glanced over your shoulder at Noa, triumphant enough to gloat that you didn't need any assistance. “Just like Ape.” His signing was languid as if he were truly unsure if he was okay to make a comment like that towards you.

You grinned to yourself as you turned back towards the horse, shuffling to the side to get to your bag which was easy enough. Trying to ignore that sufficient pride that hit you like a moving horse due to Noa’s simple words, you dallied for a second longer than you really needed to, painting your fingers along the rough sew of your bag. He was just trying to get you to feel comfortable, it was nothing more than that. I mean… You thought to yourself with a snide chuckle. Was… Was flirting even a concept he was familiar with? Surely, they had to have some sort of form. You knew that grooming had to be a heavy part, it was a personal and intimate detail that often got overlooked when human’s thought about Apes and their threshold to be incredibly social with each other. You had seen it first hand, along with those tender moments of foreheads touching one another. Brow to brow, usually hands on the heads to keep each other near as possible, eyes closing as two slowly became one and---

You tucked your shoulders into your bag, more aggressive than you needed to and allowed the added weight to anchor you as you twisted to follow whichever way Noa deemed worthy. You also knew that they were quite sarcastic when they wanted to be, and you found it endearing at times. Especially when it was Anaya. In your head, you had dubbed him as the sarcastic one, Soona as the caring one, Dar as the motherly one, and Noa… was just Noa. No immediate words came to your mind when you tried to think about it. Maybe that was a good thing! Maybe, what was happening, what had been said, was just a crush and you were finally trying to blow past it.

He was staying on his legs for you, not wanting to move onto all fours as his pace would be too fast. Another accommodation, not a consideration. There was his heavy spear splayed across his back, being held by the strap of his bag. It swayed with his movement. Subtle, his shoulders would move ever so slightly as he walked. Following suit, it felt like you were playing a game as you grasped your own spear from your horse. It was smaller than Noa’s but just as effective and hunched it over your shoulder, holding it loosely as you took pace to match his speed. Noa was only a meter or two in front of you, leading, but you wanted to be right by his side. He looked back at you and you found your feet coming to a small stop before picking back up, a silent agreement being made there at that moment. You wouldn’t use words. You would only sign as to not scare away any potential kills.

-- -- --

“I don’t understand,” You muttered to him, your shoulders fraught with confusion. Noa���s green eyes swept from his hands over to you and longed to have it reciprocated. There was nothing though, you were pretty focused on the kill. He was holding a small rabbit who had no idea their demise had come at the hands of the Ape in front of you. It was roughly tied at the feet, binding it so he could keep it stored properly for the ride back to the Village. It was ignorant bliss that the rabbit truly lived in and now it was gone. You were envious of that - the ignorant part. Swallowing softly, you shifted your gaze to the side and pretended to be amused by the fire. He had been studying you, trying to gauge what your words were going to be. Hard, mean? Assuming something you shouldn’t have? You liked to do that and Noa liked to prove you wrong just as much. But, without any eye contact, Noa could not read you. Could not see your face, and could not make any judgments towards you as you asked him, “You--- you hunt?”

Noa knew you knew the answer to that but he obliged it anyway, “Small prey. Rabbit, usually.”

Simple enough answer, and you left it at that. And deep down, Noa’s accusation was correct. You’ve eaten fish frequently enough with the Clan. And as the sun began setting and dinner time rose, you sat quietly perched between Anaya and Soona, both talking over each other about mindless chatter and watched Noa eating a fish, dissecting it almost like he were a scientist of some sort, navigating around the small bones with ease and some sickening form of elegance. He had caught eyes with you then, a piece of fish sliding between his lips as he chewed it tentatively. The beam of the firelight in front of you was able to mask the disappointed look on your face as you realized that he was only looking at you because he sat across from you. Nothing more. Looking away quickly, you put much focus on your own fish, roasted to a tender crisp. Suddenly, Noa’s eyes were watching your moves instead of sinking into your gaze.

The way your fingers swept along the length of the fish, the way you muttered under your breath trying to get a mouthful of fish instead of bone, you felt too self-conscious to eat. You sat it down on a leaf in front of you. Another set of eyes were on you and before you could open your mouth to say something to the Ape leader in front of you, Anaya was signing, asking if he could have your remaining fish. You said yes, hastily looking away from Anaya after the confirmation but Noa was not looking at you anymore, preoccupying himself in conversation with his mother.

That same night as everyone was preparing to return to their own nests, Noa had found you. If he was seeking, you often left yourself open like a book if he wanted to come see you. It was very rarely at night though, and you took it in. Eyes glazed from the sky above, littered with all its tiny self-sufficient lights, boasted tonight by the moonlight, into green eyes that were almost too dark for their own good. You could have sworn there was something mischievous there but-- You pinned it on it being almost pitch black, a trick of the eyes. Of course, his pupils were dilated, there was no denying yours weren’t as well but you weren’t sure if you could justify yours being from the lack of light. He was on all fours as he approached you, your hands setting down the soft pelt that you had dubbed your favorite to use in your make-shift nest.

Nothing to write home about, a tanglement of tightly sprung together branches, padded by a few animal pelts. Off to the side,and tucked away safely, were your clothes. Only enough sets to keep you going. Two pairs of pants, three shirts, some undergarments… You could hear Noa and Anaya in your head at that thought. The day you were caught washing your clothes in the river, the curiosity they both had at that as Noa observed you wringing out the cloth between your hands. ‘Echo weird.’ Anaya signed to Noa as they let you be, turning to go down the river and fish. If you were observant enough, you’d have seen Noa turn back towards you, only for a split second before deciding to leave you to your duty. Which, Noa still didn't understand.

It was enough of a bed that it was comfortable and didn't leave you feeling like a wilted flower the next day. You wondered for a brief time what Noa’s must have been like and felt your shoulders dip in. You were ashamed of how yours must have looked compared to what was the norm. Was Noa’s nest comfortable? Was it warm? Could he look out and see the sky when he wanted to? You knew vaguely that his nest was perched above the rest, a right of passage that was torn between his mother and himself at the moment of his fathers death, at least until he found a mate and then it would ultimately become just theirs. You didn't even realize you were clenching your fists so tightly that your knuckles were turning mildly white.

“You want to go?” He asked, not putting in any context. He must have realized that, picking the conversation apart from earlier, before dinner. “Hunting with me.” He gestured towards himself with a hand in the natural form of a ‘C’. It pressed against his chest gently. He was gesturing to himself which made sense as he continued, “Usually go with Anaya and Soona but can take you alone. The season change, rabbits are more---”

He was murmuring which came to a slow stop, deep in his chest, it faded to the sound of an animalistic growl when you finally turned fully towards him. He was coming up with some way to get you to go with him, to be alone with him, you hadn’t given him barely the light of day since your conversation only a few days ago. Some pathetic attempt it was, Noa shouted in his head and dipped his head when you looked away from him. You knew how to hunt--- You wondered if Noa knew that. There were many times, especially recently as you had gotten disconnected from your fellow group of Humans, that you were forced to hunt. It was needed but not really your favorite thing. You learned quickly though with the Apes that often Females were left to forage for berries, vegetables, seeds and roots and Males were left to hunt actual game. Fishing was done communally, including the young as it was often their introduction to the world and concepts of hunting.

‘I’d just be in the way.’ You signed to him quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up with your tone. Noa huffed at that and tilted his head upwards towards you again. He was still on all fours, it looked like an almost defensive position like he wasn’t opening up to you completely. Bringing you bottom lip in, Noa once again as he so often enjoyed doing, watched. You nibbled once, then again this time harder than before. ‘Not very good.’

‘Better than Anaya, got scared of butterflies once.’ Noa joked, shifting towards you slightly. He looked at the pelt you had so delicately placed in front of you and for less than a split second, he lost control. Pull you towards him, push you down on that pelt and absolutely---

‘Maybe,’ You finally caved, snapping Noa back into reality with your hand moving. Hard. He kept himself grounded, hands resting roughly into the dirt below him. ‘When?’

He had just been hunting today. There was no logical way for him to explain that he wanted to go again to anyone around him. ‘Few days from now.’ He signed slowly.

-- -- --

A few days ended up being closer to eight, and you were left stuck. You had already promised to go hunting, but then the dreaded conversation seven days ago left you dispelled and not as eager to go. Crouched rather uncomfortably next to Noa, you watched him idly tie a knot around his spear. You could tell it got much use and that it was his favorite, though there were many other weapons the Clan could provide. As if he were controlled by another, he raised his arm without looking up. The eagle appeared without a sound, looking at Noa with small beady eyes that you couldn’t read anything from. But, from his reaction as he nodded to himself, raising his arm once again to dispatch his eagle brethren, he must have gotten information. It never ceased to cause you amazement that he was able to do that.

‘Close.’ He signed, drawing you back out of your almost hypnotic state. ‘Den nearby. Finished mating season,’ Noa didn't look at you with that sign, but it was different than his usual language. He was mildly stiff, shoulders drawing in together. You dared to say it was rigid, like he was unsure that it was the phrase he wanted to use. ‘Now many rabbits.’

Lips parting at that, you moved your feet to sort them away from turning numb. The crouching position was more comfortable for Noa, you decided. His spine was curved to sit like this for more extended periods of time, eyes gently grazing over his posture at that moment. He was surely comfortable as could be, shoulders hunching inwards ever so gently. There was a meager temptation from your part to move so you could be face to face with him but you doubted that he wanted that. You were fine next to him, you reassured yourself and swallowed hard. It was a sound that Noa noticed but didn't turn his attention to. Unwanted attention on you, in the past, has caused you to only run or flee from him. He figured he’d bid his time, patiently waiting for you. Your knees felt like they were on fire, calves were absolutely going to cause problems for you tomorrow. from sitting in the squat position for too long. You only lingered on that for a second though as his words finally hit you. ‘Babies?’

‘No,’ He was quick to respond, somehow knowing that his answer was going to calm you down. ‘Mature now, born few months ago. Fast development. Best age to hunt for them. Good meat.’

You nodded and processed what he was telling you. He was incredibly knowledgeable about this, showing off his skills at hunting with just words. How else would he know these things without actively doing it on a habitual basis? You swelled at that thought. That Noa was indeed a provider, a show off at times, but a provider none-the-less. Whomever he ended up with was going to be lucky to have that unwavering dedication which spurred your next inquiry. ‘Mate for life?’

You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him when you signed that. Last time the conversation about mating happened, you ended up not speaking to each other for seven days. He was piqued in it regardless. Were you asking just to converse with him, or did you truly not know the answer? Either way, he considered himself invested and shut his eyes in thought. Tilting his head to the side, he sat his spear in front of him quietly, only cluttering as it shifted against the rock you two were perched on. You were just making a light conversation piece, Noa decided and he wanted to provide an honest answer.

‘No, many partners over time.’ He was using both hands to sign before he dropped his green orbs to rest on you. Not just on you, but it felt like he was crawling inside of your skin with his next set of words. ‘Not like Ape or Echo.’ Obviously, he meant it in the broadened terms. All Apes and all Echo’s. Not just the two of you. Shaking that idea out of your head, you nodded your head in understanding.

‘Mating is fast for them,’ Noa went on, just desperate at this point to continue on the path of conversing. He knew it was making you nervous, he could hear your heart beating, he could smell the sweat build up on your forehead, on your palms. One part of him deceivingly liked it, the knowledge that he could get you like this, but then there was the other oblivious side of him that didn't counteract his thoughts and he found himself continuing. ‘Have seen it. Only seconds. Female…’ Noa only spared you a slight glance.

Just as quickly as his eyes met yours, they were gone and he was looking out into the dense forest. Not at anything in particular, but he was surely searching. If you didn't know Noa already, know the nature of his personality, you would almost wager that he finally picked up on the validity of the conversation and he was turning back into his usually reserved self. This was not a topic he’d have chosen to talk about with you. The mating rituals of a… rabbit. He couldn’t stop himself though. He wanted this, wanted you to know this. Maybe if he kept going, you’d ask another question and he’d give you another answer. It was rare when the conversations took a turn and Noa got to tell you about his own knowledge, he thoroughly enjoyed listening to you. But… This moment you found yourself in, you were carefully processing what he was telling you like you life depended on it. Like… You depended on him.

‘Female will sit and take it. Many times to ensure conception.’ You nodded again and felt a tingle run down your spine. You attributed it to being crouched still. ‘Male will fall off after. Anaya thinks from being tired.’

Biting your tongue to keep yourself from snorting, you found it comfortable enough to joke around a bit, ‘Male humans are the same way. One, two maybe three good thrusts then,’ You paused and weren’t sure how to conclude. ‘We don’t mate for life anymore.’

‘For what then?’

It was a legitimate question and it left you wondering if Noa would understand the reason, if he would be accepting of the reason. As a whole, he was still incredibly on the fence about humans and you knew that. You were careful in your answers when he wanted to know something, a meager fear that saying something too outlandish would cause him to go quiet without understanding the human element and he never pressed your answers when they were not something he wanted to hear. He’d sit, reflect and come back if he had any remaining questions. He deserved your honesty though, he would brashly give you the same without any hesitation. You sighed and flexed your back, trying to figure out a delicate way to put your answer.

‘Pleasure?’ Noa’s fingers moved fast. Your mouth popped open at his absolute audacity. You had to remind yourself that he had no clue that this was a very deeply private thing to talk about. You had explained to him privacy here and there, and while he accommodated it in most aspects like giving you your own small nest, giving you space to bathe, giving you space with him to talk, there were just some things that pushed the boundaries of what you wanted to tell him. And surely sex, mating like that, like he was implying, was pushing that and you were right up against it. Noa must have recognized that he fumbled asking you that, or at least, phrasing it so… so primally. He raised his hand to sign an apology, but you were faster than him.

‘Hardly,’ You signed that hastily, hands now resting on your kneecaps. You rubbed there, almost relishing in the way it felt. ‘Not many can have children. We do it out of survival.’

Noa’s face dropped at that, eyes flicking between the side of your face and your body language, trying to read the expression you had but he was having a hard time. Has he… Has he seen you make this face before? He racked his brain but nothing came immediately to mind. You looked like someone just told you terrible news. Your face was long with something Noa didn't understand. Your eyes were hooded, looking at the ground. Pressing your arms around your body, Noa recognized that as a defensive tactic. He pushed it. Foolishly. You weren’t going to talk to him anymore about it, about how it was for you before he found you, if you had… Had ever mated.

But, maybe that was for the best! Quash it before he knew the answer, before his curiosity got the best of him. It was for the best, he kept repeating inside of his head, that he didn't know. That you didn't tell him someone else laid claim to you already. Running his teeth along his sharp canines, Noa turned with thought. He had done it without care. Asking you such a stupid, pointless, meaningless question as if he himself knew pleasure like that. He didn't even know what he was talking about when he asked! He didn't…Even…. Know… Would he ever? He had to wonder. Know what he was talking about, the implications of what he suggested?

His stare rested on you, the side of your face as you were trying to process everything that just transpired. You were avoiding eye contact, a tell-tale sign to the Ape that you were done chatting. A soft breeze hit the air around you, Noa diving almost face first into the smell that wafted off you, the bouncing of the small baby hairs on the top of your head, not as long as the rest but trying to get there and the picking of your fingers at the fabric that had bunched around your knees. It was asinine to think that he would ever know with you. And he was even more so to think about asking let alone actually doing it.

What was he expecting? An answer? You so flatteringly telling him you had never been with anyone, that you opened your arms to him to lay claim? An Ape of all creatures. He chuffed at that and broadened his shoulders. But, the thought of you with another, any other, made him feel a surge of aggression, resting too uncomfortably at the back of his head like he had been crouching his head down to look at something for too long. Quicker than lightning, Noa bared his teeth and picked up his spear. With a free hand, he gave you only one command.

‘Let’s go hunting.’

[reddesires]

Biting Jealousy. [Noa x Human!Reader] SMUT

Reference: This Ask

Noa x Human!Reader

Rating: NSFW (18+ MDNI!!)

Fandom: (Kingdom Of The) Planet Of The Apes

A/N: ACK *GRRR BARKBARK* I love me some jealous Noa, biting and marking is my cup of tea.

Noa understood the premise of having an echo around, the fascination and the curiosity of the enigma that lived amongst them.

How you eclipsed onto their attention whenever you came near, there was bound to be attention following your every move, but did he expect how you garnered the intrigue of the other males in the clan? Absolutely not, and he was definitely at odds with it.

Despite the decent amount of time of you making a home within the eagle clan you have had a good selection of males who were adamant of receiving your attention, you were quite popular it seemed and it irked Noa like never before.

Even now as he watches from a distance and can see you being joined by a few other male apes in the communal bonfire, he wanted nothing more than to snatch you up from their wandering eyes and take you back to the his nest just so he could truly show you what it means to garner your affections. You belong to him and only him, and he was determined to show them you were not to be tampered with or else he'd have their head.

The grinding of his teeth reverberated off his eardrums doing little to distract him from his morbid thoughts of blood dripping down his chin as he tore into the jugular of the male chimp who sat a little too close for his liking to you, the pounding of his heart was heavy pressed into his chest as the adrenalin set in, he was plague with the crazed feeling hanging over his head.

The feeling hadn't fully settled into him before you were departing from the bonfire and headed into his direction, you always did have an inkling when he was nearby like you somehow interlinked yourself to him, connected souls he liked to think, a perfect mate.

The tension of his body immediately catches your attention, the set way his shoulders is positioned and the rigid stance set off alarm bells in your head so you choose a gentle approach, gently settling in next to him leaning into his personal space.

"Noa, what are you doing out here? I was lonely" the plush way his name slides from your lips almost snatches his self control, he breathes in ignoring the burning urge to pin you down and make you cry his name out in ecstasy, he refrains. "Clearing..my head. Head felt foggy" he murmurs, feeling the weight of your gaze, he felt foolish that he was overcome with such emotion, such rage, at the sight of you being fawned over and like a cycle the conviction was arising back up his throat and settling in his canines, they shouldn't be so confident of approaching you, openly shameless of being so close to you.

He felt the warmth of your hand on his face and it only to a moment for him to grasp your wrist, there was no strength in his grip as he caught stare, he then looked down at your open palm slowly placing his face into it, breathing in your scent. You fixedly watched as Noa grazed his canine against your open wrist, a shiver traveling down your spine at the sensation, a shakey breath escaping as you laid your other hand on his toned bicep

"Noa?" His name taunted on the tip of your tongue, the warm nature of his skin against yours bliss, how badly you wanted to join him on planes of pleasure that tantalizingly stood on the horizon of thought.

"You're mine." The statement had authority, it seized you as much as it enthralled your very being, the atmosphere stalled as if a pin drop could possibly shatter this reality for you, you belonged to Noa and he was gonna ensure you and everyone else knew. "I won't let them have you.."

Exhilaration enraptured your senses as he lightly bites down on the tender skin, you can feel the wariness of his bite and the warmth of his breath on your wrist, the enamel of his teeth rendering you in a state of bizarre of bliss, your voice relinquished from your body as you heavily lean into him your forehead finding home right on top of his, his arms immediately wrap around your waist catching the dead weight of your body, seeking refuge into your neck.

Noa has you pinned to his body, refusing to miss out on even a inch of you not placed against him, the plush of grass beneath you barely scapes your attention as you watch the intensity of his eyes, there's more to him than he's letting on and rather than telling you through words, he'll show you through his actions.

He abruptly strips you of your clothing as if he could no longer hold back his desires to see the entirety of your smooth skin, his rough palm trailing down the panorama of your stomach towards your navel, leaning down so he's hovering over you observing the curvature of your collarbone, a glint overtaking his envy colored eyes.

He swipes down his mouth latching onto the yielding corium of your nape, his teeth lightly nibbling intending on marking you as his, his hand found its way right where you are craving him most, his thick fingers slicked by the moisture. Your ached back and open legs were a sight that used to seem so intangible to him, his breathing ragged as he looked over the length of your body.

The marks on your collarbone and neck forming their coloration upon your delicate skin, the thought of biting into you with his sharp-edged canines clouding the forefront of his mind, the image of your blood pouring into his mouth and down his chin becoming one with you as he absorbed your very life force,

He's hit with the scent of your arousal as he bites down into the softness of your trapezius. You release a noise of pain and pleasure as you embrace the headiness of his bite. The knot in your stomach tensing as his fingers work on your clit, the bundle of nerves slick with your arousal, your body taut as your grip his upper arms.

Noa bites down with a little more force as you come undone under him, small droplets of blood tainting his tongue, his eyes fluttering at the metallic taste and your sounds of pleasure sending him into a haze of elation. Your ragged breathing tore into the atmospheric night air, reaching up to Noa grabbing the back of his head with gentle motion, tilting his head down onto yours, he chitters upon the contact "I am yours."

[rosemilo]

"Can ape and human live together?"

This is the line that'll define this trilogy, the line that will decide the fate of the planet. Mae saying "I don't know" shows that nothing is for sure and anything is possible.

The fact that they both, but especially Noa, looks so hopeful for the answer to be yes; apes and humans can live together.

[blueberry-tenya]

"In other words, please be true"

"In other words, I love you"

[kaliido-s]

apparently koba’s eight years older than caesar

[fl3shm4id3n]

ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴇ (ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɪ): ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴇ

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 '𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝' 𝐡𝐚𝐝. 𝐁𝐮𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 '𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐬' 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭?

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ɪᴍᴘʟɪᴇᴅ ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴇʏᴇꜱ x ꜰᴇᴍ! ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ʜʏʙʀɪᴅ? ᴀᴘᴇ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ꜱᴏɴɢ: ᴋᴀɴʏᴇ ᴡᴇꜱᴛ - ʀᴜɴᴀᴡᴀʏ

TW: human and ape experimenting, illegal? experimenting, talks of torture, blood, brain swapping, bride of Frankenstein/Poor Things references, talks of death and taking risks, abuse, injuries, talks of war, blood, guns, murder, humans being assholes, Koba, Not edited.

A/N: The amount of times I've seen Dawn Of Planet of the Apes just to have every pit of accuracy in my fic series is a lot. XD

Masterlist

You had ridden on a horse with the ape who had comforted you. It was the first time you've ever seen a horse in person, let alone ride one. With an ape. The ride was quiet, all that could be heard was the horse feet walking on the grass. You still wondered where you were going. Did the apes have their own kind of sanctuary? Did they live in a lab that was only for apes? You couldn't help but just wonder the whole ride. Looking to your side, you saw the ape with blue eyes riding his horse. He was also looking at you, as if he was watching you. Making sure that you weren't going to do something with the older ape. What could you do? Apes were much stronger than you, they'd rip you in half if they wanted. They could've, but they didn't.

After some time, you had finally arrived to the destination. It was interesting to see. The apes had built their own kind of him, using large branches and other kinds of wood that they found. Once the horses were settled in what seemed to be their makeshift stables. The older ape hopped off, then he helped you get off the horse. You still wondered who the ape was. Was he their leader of some kind? Did apes have leaders? You weren't completely sure. You were then led towards the entrance, you couldn't help but look around, seen how they had manage to make all of this. It interested you how they did all that.

Inside, you saw how they were even more apes, they all gathered around. As if they were trying to greet their leader, but it made you a bit nervous. They all had their eyes on you. They must have wondered, why was there a human girl with the leader? You quickly felt out of place. You looked at the ground instead, looking at your now dirt covered feet, trying not to make any more eye contact. You had been lead up a flight of makeshift stairs, up a makeshift tower. You couldn't help but be even more impressed by how they had managed to make a tower of sticks and a tree.

Now you were in what seemed to be a home of some kind, filled with more apes. Except, there was also a huge orangutan and a gorilla. They must have been some sort of council. Out of nowhere, you saw how an ape approached. Except this ape seemed much older, he also had a scar running down the left side of his face. His eye was also a white color. He must have been blind or is going blind from that eye. He had an angry look on his face. "Why is human here?" He growled, angrily. As well as get closer to you. You couldn't help but feel scared. Luckily the ape who had brought you here made sure to be in front of you so that he didn't get anymore close.

'We found her in the woods. She's no threat.' The ape signed who the scarred one. The scarred ape growled and looked at you for a moment. You turned away to avoid his gaze, covering the side of your face to avoid his glare. 'She's still a human.' He signed to the leader. 'Still, I've brought her here. There for, she'll be staying.' He signed back to the scarred up. The scarred ape didn't seem very happy, but didn't argue any further. He just looked at you and snarled. It was obvious that he didn't like you not one bit. Even though you did nothing to him.

The leader then turned to you and the ape with blue eyes, who had been standing right next to you the whole time. 'Take her to your mother' The leader signed to the blue eyed ape. Who nodded at his command, he then tapped you on the shoulder to get your attention. When he got your attention, he motioned for you to follow him, which you did. You walked up more stairs, much higher in the tower. You wondered where you were being taken again by the blue eyed ape. Was it another room of some kind?

After a few more steps, you were in another room. Again, filled with more apes, except. This apes were all females, more of them had small objects covering their faces or had small trinkets in their hair. One of the apes had approached the you both. She greeted the blue eyed ape with a hug. You assumed they must have been related in some way, was she his sister or his mother? 'Father told me to bring her here.' He singed to her. The female ape then looked at you, looking at you up an down. You also couldn't help but look at her. She was beautiful, you also noticed that she was very pregnant, she'll probably pop any day now. She gave you a small smile and approached you. Getting a better look at you. She smiled at you, comfortingly. Almost motherly. Then she turned to the blue eyed ape. 'I'll take it from here, you can go back to your father now.' She signed to him, the ape gave her a nod. Then proceeded to leave, as he left he gave you one final look, before leaving down the steps.

You looked at the ape who had taken a hold of your hand and guided you further inside. 'I'm Cornelia, what's your name?' She signed to you, as she sat you down on the ground, with the rest of the other apes. Who couldn't help but get closer, just to get a look at you. "I H-Thirteen." You told to her, but Cornelia's face turned into one of confusion. 'What kind of name is that?' She asked, all you could do was shrug your shoulders. Then you saw how her face shifted into one of thought. After a bit of silence, she signed again. 'I know, your new name will be Y/n. Do you like Y/n?' She asked you, wanting to get your approval of the new given name. You thought of it, at first. Y/n did sound better than H-Thirteen, you didn't think more of it. You liked the name. 'Yeah, I like Y/n.' You signed to Cornelia. 'Then that'll be your name from now on. Y/n.'

Back at Caesar's council, everyone was filled with confusion. Why would Caesar bring a human? A human into their home. 'What were you thinking bring her here?' Rocket asked, followed by Luca and Ash. 'Do you have any idea what she could do? What if humans are looking for her? They'll find her here.' He said, as more and more apes continued to ask questions. 'She's not ordinary human, she's more than just a human.' Maurice had finally signed something. 'What would you know?' Koba asked the Orangutan, wanting to know what he had to say about a human coming to there home and being a potential danger to all of the apes. 'Because I do.' He simply signed to him, not giving any more information on why.

Everyone was still not convinced, they continued to ask more and more on why Caesar brought a human. But it was quickly shut down by him. 'I made the choice bringing her here. It is already done.' He signed to all of them. Everyone got quiet, they didn't know whether they should protest more or just leave it. But they choose to leave it. But they choose to just leave it, they knew to trust Caesar because they knew their leader would never put them in harms wat. But in this kind of situation, they wouldn't know what to say or do. They just had to trust their leader like they have been doing.

With Cornelia, she has cleaned the scrapes on your knees and cheeks. Along with other cuts you got when you had fallen in the woods. They also put some kind of past on your wounds so that they could heal. During that, you had learned that the leader of the Apes name was Caesar and was her husband. The ape with the Blue Eyes is her oldest son. That made a lot more sense on how she interacted blue eyes. You learned a bit more about the clan and the other apes. She along with the other women apes were curious about you. Where you were from and how you ended up being found by Caesar. You explained to them where you were from along with everything that had happened prior.

You told them about your sister and how she ended up dying because of the brain had developed some kind of deadly bacteria, killing her. They were all shocked to learn what the humans did to you and you deceased sister. They never though that humans would hurt each other in such a way. They've heard about the things they'd do to apes, but never about what they'd do to another human being. Were some humans just horrible? You explained to them that those humans, you referred to them as 'White Coats', since they'd tend to wear white coats all the time. Soon after, Caesar had come into the room, asking to talk with you. Before you went with him, you said your goodbyes to the apes and Cornelia. Hoping you'd talk with them more later on. You left with Caesar.

He took you somewhere else, somewhere a bit more quiet so that you and him could talk. "Do you have a name?" He asked you. "Yeah. It was H-Thirteen, but now. I am Y/n." You explained to him. He nodded in understanding. "Y/n. Where are you from?" He asked you, in which you answered. "I'm from lab. Huge building." You explained to him. He simply nodded. "Are they more like you?" He asked. "No, they dead now. Failed, experiments." You explained. "But not me and my sister, but. She's dead to." You added. Caesar had a look of sympathy and understanding. He knew what it was liked to loose someone closest to him. "Did humans do that?" He asked, pointing at the small bit of scars on your arms and the tattoo on your wrist.

"Yeah, the White Coats did that. And more." You said, while touched the back of your head. Feeling the scar along your scalp and your buzzed cut hair. "They did this. They switched my brain with my sister's." You explained. This made Caesar grow confused. "Switched brains?" He asked. "Yeah, my sister was ape. Like you. The White Coats took my brain out, then they gave me hers. And they gave her mine." You explained to him. "My new brain became mine, but my sister's new brain didn't want her. So, it killed her." You added. Caesar seemed horrified by what you told him. He never expected humans to go to that extent.

"How did you end up in the woods? Did you runaway?" He asked. "No, I was going to be taken to, different lab. But we stopped for a break. Then I got distracted by the pretty flowers. Then I fell down a hill and into a river. The water took me far, that I got lost. I tried looking for the lab, but I didn't know where to look. Then your son and other apes found me." You finished. That made a lot of sense now. "Are they looking for you?" He asked. "I don't know. They've said, I was needed. I was going to help Humanity." You said. Caesar could only nod. There was a moment a moment of silence, he didn't know whether to ask for questions of just leave it.

"Don't worry, you are safe here." He said, getting a hold of your hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. "You won't take me back to the White Coats... will you?" You asked, now getting worried that he'd somehow take you back to the lab. Caesar shook his head. "You don't have to go anywhere, unless you want to." He said. "I don't want to go back. They hurt me. A lot. They already took my sister, I don't want them to take more." You explained to him. He seemed to understand. "You don't have to go anywhere. You can stay here, where you'll be safe with us." He stated. His words sounded real, you felt as if you could trust him.

For the next couple hour you were around other apes, getting to know their names and who they were in the clan. You met Maurice, the Orangutan you saw in the small council. He was very welcoming towards you just like Cornelia. He was a very loyal council member of Caesar's. He was also a teacher who taught the younger apes how to speak and sign, as well as write. Maurice thought that maybe you could help him teach the younger apes and maybe get to know you a bit. Since you're the every first you human they've ever seen and met in person.

Besides that, you've learned that Caesar had put Blue Eyes in charge of you. Not flat out take care of you like a child, but just look out for you and teach you a thing or two about how the clan works. You noticed how Blue Eyes didn't seem too pleased by the task, but he had to listen to his father. Because he was his son and also the leader. You interactions were a bit awkward, since Blue Eyes had never been around a human. He didn't know how to treat you. Again, he's never been around a human, this close.

It had already gone dark, the apes had gathered around the fire pit to eat. You sat there, in silence, eating almost slowly and a bit scared. You felt all eyes on you, watching you eat the food given to you. It made you feel a bit anxious. Then you felt someone's presence next to you, when you turned to see who it was. You saw that it was Maurice. 'Don't worry, they're still not used to having a human around.' He singed. 'I know, I'm just... a bit. Anxious.' You signed back. You choose to sign instead of speaking. Your hands were a bit shaky due to how anxious you were.

'It'll be fine. They'll get used to you' He signed. You felt a bit more relaxed by his words. Looking over, you noticed the scarred ape looking at you. Almost snarling with hatred by your presence. You knew him by the name of Koba. 'What happened to him?' you asked Maurice. 'He too was hurt by humans.' He signed in response. 'By White Coats?' You asked him again, in which he nodded. 'He despises humans because of that.' He added.

Now you understood why he'd snarl and glares at you. Honestly, you couldn't blame him. You too would despise them, for what they did to you. That made you think of your sister. Would she have felt the same if she was alive? 'I just hope he doesn't hate me.' You signed. 'Who knows, maybe in as the time passes. He might like you.' Maurice signed, trying to lighten up the mood a bit. 'I hope.' You signed back to him.

Later that night after dinner, you taken to a nest by Blue Eyes. 'You'll be sleeping here.' He signed towards you. 'Thank you' you signed to him, while looking at him. 'You're very kind.' You added. That made Blue Eyes look away, a bit shy by your comment. 'If you need anything, just. Go get me, I'll be over there.' He signed as he pointed at another nest that was a few feet away. Once you nodded, he left to his nest to lay down. You laid down in the nest, trying to get comfortable. It was pretty big and comfortable, much better than that springy old bed you were used to sleeping. As you laid in the nest, you stared up at the sky. Which was filled with stars. Wondering what life would end up being like with the Apes. How long would you be with them. You just hoped that you could be in a place were it felt like home.

The next morning, you were with Maurice, helping him teach the younger apes. After you were introduced to them, the teaching began. You showed them how to pronounce some letters and even how to write. The whole time, they paid more attention on how you looked then what you were trying to teach them. They lightly tug at your hospital gown and even touch your buzzcut hair. You didn't mind, since they were young and were very curious about everything around them. You've also showed them numbers, due to them staring and pointing at your tattooed wrist. So, you thought them how to count and write numbers on the dirt.

After the lesson, the younger apes left to go on about their day. That was a nice experience you had with them. 'They pay more attention to you, then they do me.' Maurice signed. 'They were more curious in how I looked then the lesson.' You signed back to him. 'True, but they still listened to you.' He signed. That was true, they'd be times when Maurice had a heard time getting the children to get him to listen, since they'd get easily distracted. Except this time, they actually listened to the lesson. 'That's a good thing.' He signed. 'You think so?' You asked him, in which he nodded. 'You're like a human ape. You may not look like us, but you think like us.' He explained. That was good. At least you thought it was good thing.

When you were done with Maurice. You decided to go explore the village a bit, just to get familiar with the place. As you walked, you couldn't help but notice some children following you. You didn't think much of it at first, until you felt one tug at your gown. Looking over to see who it was, you noticed how the young ape backed away. While laughing with some other young ape. Then you turned back and went on about your walk, until you felt another tug at your gown, again. You turned to see who it was, it was the same situation. The young apes laughed at your confusion. You couldn't help but chuckle, then went back to your walk.

You heard someone approaching you. It must have been the same ape who had tugged at your gown. Before they could get a hold of your gown again. You quickly turned around and let out a small playful shout at them. They let out a small scream, but proceeded to laugh. Also making you laugh a bit. Then you heard someone approach behind you. When you saw who it was, it was Blue Eyes. You signed him a small 'hello'. 'Come' He signed, you turned and waved the kids. Then followed Blue Eyes.

The walk was silent and a bit awkward. You didn't know whether you should start a conversation or say something. You just remained quiet as you walked beside Blue Eyes. You ended up going to a river with a waterfall. You couldn't help but be captivated by the sounds and scenery of the water fall. You've never seen a water fall in person before. Then you felt Blue Eyes poking you with something. Looking over, you saw that he had human clothes with him. 'Father, told me to give this to you.' He signed, you took the clothes from him. 'Thank you.' You signed to him. 'I'll give you some privacy.' He signed, then walked away into the woods again. Once you no longer saw him, you began to change.

You took off your dirty hospital gown, but before you changed into the new pair of clothes. You decided to clean yourself off a bit. Stepping into the river, you used the water to scrub at your arms, legs, stomach and just all over. Even if you didn't have soap, the water was more than enough. Once you finished, you used the hospital gown to dab yourself clean. Finally clean, you began to change into the new clothes. It was a red-brownish long sleeve shirt, that was a bit too big for you and a pair of dark jeans. This was much better than wearing that dirty hospital gown. When you were done, you picked up the hospital gown and went back to look for Blue Eyes.

When you spotted him, you saw him talking to another ape. It was girl ape. A very pretty one. You stayed behind so that you didn't interrupt them in there conversation. After a few minutes, the ape left Blue Eyes, then he turned to you. 'Sorry for taking long.' You signed to him. 'It's fine, I was talking with Lake.' He signed back. That must have been her name. You assumed. 'She's a friend of yours?' you asked. In which he seemed a bit embarrassed to admit, due to the way he looked away from you. 'I want to be more than friends.' He signed. 'More? As an, husband and wife like your father and mother?' You asked. While he nodded his head, you nodded also, in understanding.

'You should go for it. She seems interested in you.' You signed. 'You think so?' He asked, while you nodded in response. During that small conversation, you couldn't help but feel some kind of overwhelming feeling in your chest and you felt how your heart slightly sped up. You whined, slightly rubbing your chest in discomfort, to try and soothe that strange feeling off your chest. 'Are you alright?' Blue Eyes asked. 'Yeah, I'm okay.' You signed back. 'We should probably head back.' You signed to him, which he nodded. Then proceeded to walk back to the village. You followed right after him. Why did you all of a sudden feel that way? You had no idea, but you hoped that it was only a one time thing.

ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴛ, ɴᴇxᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ

[ohwaitimthewriter]

The Memory Keeper

Chapter 1 : List.

Pairing : Noa x human reader

Warning : A bit of mourning. Otherwise, all clear for this one!

Summarize (please I'm so bad at writing these!): A woman, allowed to live as long as the virus keeps running through her body, living on autopilot for 260 years, is going to see her life takes a new turn, finding hope in something that might come to put an end to her wandering.

Words : 3.2k

A/N : It has been a long time since I've written something and it feels pretty good to get back at it with this story! I hope you'll like it and do not hesitate to share your thoughts or like/reblog, it's always appreciated! As English isn't my native language, I'm sorry if you find mistakes or weird wording in there, let me know if you find some and I'll be glad to correct them!

Enjoy your reading 😊

The Memory Keeper masterlist.

It wasn't going to be a difficult day. The list was ready, the tasks the same as the day before and the day after. You had to go to the river: catch a fish, fill the flasks with fresh water, bathe… You had to get on your horse and on the way back, stop at the 16th tree on the right, get off, walk 30 steps and fill the bag with blackberries. You had to avoid the brambles and avoid tripping over the prominent root. Get back on the horse and ride home.

Prepare the fish: remove the head and tail, the skin, gut it and remove the bones, light a fire to cook it. Yes, evolution had done many things, but it must have missed the episode where it was necessary to improve the human digestive system. So the fish still had to be cooked.

The garden had to be tended. Over the years, it had evolved too. It had been a long time in the making. A vegetable garden, tomatoes, green beans and, you couldn't quite remember how, artichokes had found their place too. An apple tree was easy to grow. It took time, but it was easy. And then there was this little gem you'd stumbled upon one day: a rosebush. It was an important one. You had to take care of it too.

You always had to do something.

Your hands knew what to do and how to do it. Your legs took you where you needed to go, and at that particular moment, they had led you to your horse. You had to remove his saddle and bridle, check his hooves and remove any stones that might have got stuck on them. Run your hand over his belly to loosen the skin compressed by the girth. And don't forget to give him a drink. When it came to eating, he found everything on his own, except perhaps an apple, which you gave him from time to time to thank him for his help. He knew how to ask, too. In fact, he huffed and gave you a nudge.

Okay, an apple.

He followed you to the apple tree and you climbed onto his back. You could reach the branches, but it was always difficult to keep your balance. Especially when your right hip wasn't working properly. And you sighed. It really wasn't convenient.

You had to go on with the list, what was next?

“ Hearing my voice at least once and speaking so I don't forget.”

This was important. You had to remember how to speak. The world had forgotten, but you must not. You had no right to forget.

“Say something new.”

And you looked around.

“It's cloudy today.”

Which meant rain wasn't far off. Your horse was now grazing beside you.

“You should take shelter.”

You smile, you'd said one more sentence today. Your horse's ears twitched as if to say “I do what I want” and you shrugged. After all, he was the one to decide. But you didn't want to get wet in the rain. You patted his neck and went off to find shelter in your wooden hut.

You've lived here for a long time. A very long time. So long that you no longer needed a torch to light up the big room when night fell or when the clouds darkened the place. You knew exactly where the shaky table was, the armchair with its deformed, hollowed-out seat and even the little plastic pot you kept forgetting to put back on the table to avoid getting your feet caught in it. And despite the years, you never tripped over it.

You were right to come home. You'd just had time to put the water flasks and the cooked fish on the table when a torrent of water hit the floor. The end of the list would have to wait. The timing was perfect, as your stomach signaled that it was time to fill up, and the smell of the wood-fired fish made your mouth water.

Settling back in your armchair, you ate the fish, watching the rain fall against the hut's only window. Eating with your hands was no longer as disturbing as it had been at first. There were a lot of memories that had slipped away over time, but you almost smiled when you thought back to the embarrassment you'd felt the first time you'd had to eat like that. If you'd known back then where you'd end up…

A sigh.

Drops tumbled against the window and some seemed to challenge themselves to get to the bottom first. They were following the path traced by others before them, but obviously not all roads were good ones to take. Some raindrops went straight down, others tried to cut off their opponents' path, and still others weaved in and out to create their own path. Then a raindrop caught your eye. It seemed the most likely to win the mad race. It glided and slalomed proudly until it landed delicately on your windowsill, blending in with its sisters who had landed there before it.

You turned your eyes to the last piece of fish, which you brought to your mouth.

You took one last look out the window, and that's when you caught sight of it.

A shadow.

A shadow had just moved past your window. The rain kept on pounding against it and you could see the trees in the distance stirring in the wind, and you were sure you saw the shadow moving, quickly to the right, but the shadow was gone. There were only raindrops, only the wind, and you could even hear the dull roar of an incipient thunderstorm.

A deep breath. You had to.

Then a sigh.

The rain and wind must have played a trick on you. If the storm picked up, you definitely wouldn't be able to finish your outdoor to-do list. But that didn't matter, there was still plenty to do inside.

First you had to tidy up. Keeping the interior clean and tidy was important, so you couldn't leave the water bottles on the table. You grabbed them and stepped over the little plastic pot that stood between the table and what you could call a kitchen. At least, that's what you would have called this part of the hut back in the day, because there was only a broken sink and a cupboard without a door. You passed the front door and it rattled against the latch in the wind. You had managed to install a branch across the door, allowing you to keep it closed in bad weather. However, as it didn't close very well, the wind always managed to rattle it between the branch and the latch. But you got used to the noise. So you walked past the shaky door to put the water bottles in the cupboard, and when you heard a suspicious rustling sound, you jumped, staring at the door.

You frowned at the unusual sound. You had been holding your breath, but the wind suddenly whistled through the doorframe, which was sorely lacking in hermetic seals. So you breathed out, taking a calmer breath. The wind. Mother Nature was definitely testing your nerves tonight.

Well, you still had to change your clothes. Night was coming on and you couldn't possibly sleep in your day clothes. You stepped over the little plastic pot again and made your way to the wooden chest beside the fireplace to find a t-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts with a hole in the left knee. Maybe one day you'd find a stray piece of fabric while walking through the forest, so you could mend it. But you hadn't yet got to the list asking you to explore the surrounding area.

There were 7 lists divided into 4 sections, themselves arranged in 12 categories. It was your way of keeping track of time. You no longer counted the days, let alone the years; you'd long since lost the very notion of time. But to grow crops, harvest the fruits of the forest and simply follow nature's millimetric events and be able to anticipate them, you needed a reference point. The lists, though mostly identical, were that reference point. Hanging on the wall with pieces of wood you'd carved yourself, they determined your days and the things you had to do.

You didn't really know when or how you'd started making these lists. But judging by the ink, half washed away by the years - some of the lists had even gone back to being blank - it must have been a long time ago.

You put the current day's list back in its place. Tomorrow, you'd have to complete it while carrying out the next one. But there was one more thing you needed to do indoors before settling into your armchair for the night. One last important thing.

From the chest, you took out a picture frame. The corners were worn, the wood had crumbled and you had to handle it carefully to avoid getting splinters in your hands. You set the frame down on the floor by the fireplace, knelt in front of it and reached into the jar on your right to pick a rose petal, which you placed carefully in the right-hand corner of the frame.

You struggled to swallow.

That's where it always got complicated.

Once again, you reached into the jar and pulled out 7 petals. You always needed 7 petals. You placed 6 of them in a circle on the dry twigs in the fireplace and began humming a song whose words you'd long since forgotten. But you remembered the feeling. You felt a lump in your throat, and you often wondered how you managed to keep the song going.

You hummed, and on the last petal, with the help of a needle, you delicately traced his initials. You had to be careful not to press too hard, you shouldn't pierce the petal, just brush against it enough to see, if you concentrated hard enough, the outline of the letter you were drawing. You also had to blink a few times to see clearly what you were doing. It was important to get it right. Once you'd written the letter on the petal, you laid it at the center of the circle.

It was always at this moment that your hands shook. You needed a moment. Just a bit of time.

You had to wipe your hands over your eyes, the most important thing was to handle the two flints on the floor with care. Your hands had to be steady, not shaking. You interrupted the song to get your breathing under control.

Inhale.

Breathe out.

Grab the flints.

Inhale.

Exhale.

A sharp stroke.

The clatter of the stone threw sparks onto the pile of twigs and a flame sprang up. You started humming again as the fire slowly consumed the wood until it reached the petals of the circle.

A tear.

The fire continued to progress and you stared desperately at the petal in the center, quickly ridding yourself of the tears that were blurring your vision. The flame touched the edge of the petal and you watched the letter “C” burn away and disappear into the ashes.

The flame faded as the twigs gradually disappeared and, once gone, you slipped the petal on the frame back into its jar.

Now you had to put the frame away. Your fingers brushed the edge of the picture inside of it. Despite the years, you had managed, by some miracle, to keep the photograph almost undamaged. At least, sufficiently intact that you could still distinguish the shape of an ape in the center of the picture, despite the cracks.

He was a force of nature. You had taken this photo on a December day, you still knew because you could still discern the white flakes clinging to his dark fur. Back then, you loved taking pictures.

What did they call you again?

The memory keeper.

Even after all this time, it still made you smile. You gently squeezed the frame between your fingers, keeping it balanced on the knees you'd just tucked in towards you. This way, he was a little closer to you.

You made an extra effort to remember the day. He was standing high enough to see everyone around him. He must have been talking about something important; he always had that powerful, soul-piercing stare when he was saying something important. But he always looked…

“Grumpy.”

You concluded your thought in a whisper that knotted your throat. Grumpy. You almost expected to hear him growl, his ego bruised, every time you reminded him that he was sometimes a little too grumpy. “Grumpy because a lot on my shoulders,” he'd snap back at you. “No, grumpy because you're old” you'd always reply, your eyes always playful. And you were the only one who could say such a thing, with the only result being an amused snore coming from him.

And you felt yourself take a deep breath. Of all the pictures you'd taken, this was the last one you had left. You had to put the frame back in the chest, so your fingers tightened even more around the wood. Your head tilted slightly forward, closing your eyes as the wood touched your forehead.

Tonight was difficult.

You took another deep breath, and before the knot in your throat hurt too much, you straightened up and went to put the frame in the chest.

“Caesar, tonight is really difficult,” you whispered, watching the shadow of the lid close over the frame.

------------

It had been a restless night. When your eyes opened the next morning, they felt heavy and swollen, and you found yourself rubbing your eyes to try and make the heaviness go away.

Today, there was much to do. After changing from your night clothes to your day ones, you removed the branch blocking the door and let the sun shine in, warming your skin. The fresh early-morning air caressed your skin and you took a few seconds to smell the distinctive light scent that follows a thunderstorm.

No sooner had you taken a few steps forward than your feet bumped into something hard, causing you to lose your balance. In a fraction of a second, you found yourself on your butt on the ground, a stabbing pain in your right hip that had failed to move to stop you from falling.

“Ouch!” was the only thing that slipped out of your mouth.

You straightened up slightly, remaining seated in the grass, to see what had caused your fall and a pile of apples laid exactly under the wobbly small porch that covered your front door.

God, what a dummy not to have put that away last night. You thought to yourself, looking down at your hands full of dirt. You'd have to go to the river to clean it up, and now you'd just have to take your night clothes with you because you'd also have to wash the ones you were wearing-the mud from the storm must have dirtied your current clothes.

A pile of apples. You thought as you rubbed your hands together.

A pile of apples. You glanced at your right hip. Pfft, if you'd made Caesar break it to put it back in its place, you'd never have fallen today. In fact, you'd have avoided more than one fall.

All because of a misplaced pile of apples.

A pile of misplaced apples.

And like a light bulb switching on, your gaze suddenly fell on those apples that actually had nothing to do there. You hadn't gathered them the day before.

Then you heard it. A muffled purr came gently from behind you. Surely you should have turned around, stood up and dealt with it, but you'd found yourself rooted to the spot, eyes glued to those apples, waiting as an orangutan appeared in your field of vision.

And you refused to look at him, your hands balled into fists to keep them from shaking. You weren't afraid. No. But for some obscure reason, your brain had simply decided to freeze.

The orangutan once again let out a rumble, softer this time, and held out his hand to you.

“I'll help.”

His voice made you blink several times. You did your best to snap out of your stupor, but this time your eyes agreed to look at him, and the orangutan seemed delighted.

Just one more moment. It took another second, just one, to see your hand slip into his and before you knew it, you were back on your feet.

“Raka, we must go.”

The second voice surprised you a little. It sounded familiar and your eyes fell on a chimpanzee, a little further away, who had just finished saddling a horse. You frowned, your horse? You were trying to determine whether it was really yours, but the distance didn't allow you to be sure. There was only one way to find out.

So you whistled.

The horse shook its head and the chimpanzee didn't have time to grab the reins before your horse galloped off to meet you. They were going to take your horse… in exchange for a stack of apples?

You grabbed the reins and stroked the horse's neck as he snorted. He chewed the bit and blew heavily through his nostrils.

For a fraction of a second, you forgot about the two large apes who, from the sounds they were making, weren't particularly happy to have lost a chance of obtaining a second means of locomotion: in your peripheral vision, you could see another horse quietly grazing.

Your hands still knew what to do, and it didn't take you long to remove the bridle and bit from your horse's mouth.

“He doesn't like it.” you said simply.

And only silence answered you, so you showed the bridle to the two apes.

“The bit, he doesn't like it, he's not used to it.”

Your answer didn't seem to convince them. They stared at you, dumbstruck, and if you paid close enough attention, you could almost see their mouths hanging wide open. And that left you bewildered. What didn't they understand? You'd heard them talking, so that certainly wasn't the problem.

“You can't take my horse.” You went on, starting to remove the saddle.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that they were staring at you as if you'd just landed from the sky.

“If you want a horse, there's a wild herd to the south, past the river.” And you pointed in the right direction.

They remained silent as tombs, but the chimpanzee followed the direction you pointed with his eyes.

“Just be careful, the group's stallion isn't very friendly.” You thought it important to tell him.

Your gaze fell back on them and the orangutan, Raka, if you'd heard correctly, hadn't moved a muscle. The chimpanzee, on the other hand, was staring at you thoughtfully, as if he was trying to put together a puzzle with a missing piece. He then moved towards you inquisitively, perhaps, confused?

“Echo, speak?”

It was certainly the most surprising sentence you'd ever heard in your life.

[blueapplesiren]

Thinking about the indomitable human spirit. Thinking about how you can tell someone on death’s doorstep, “just hold on a little longer, help is on the way,” and they will, because they know it’s true. Thinking about how we fall, we patch each other up, and we just keep going. Running with aching joints and muscles. Limping on broken limbs. Rolling on wheelchairs, leaning on canes and walking sticks, crawling, dragging ourselves with our arms, it doesn’t matter how we do it, we persist. Each one of us a fragile being, all of us capable of combining into an unstoppable force. I love you all, I love us all.

[satans-knitwear]

Just pull it to the side 👅

Treat me ~ Tip Me ~ More of me

[1emon1ime]

Release [ Rise! Caesar x Human Reader ] NSFW

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57903403

Caesar x Reader

[Exhibitionism]

18+ NSFW!

Your new part-time job at the Primate Shelter has taken an unexpected turn. Caesar who has recently risen among the ranks and was now leader of the colony, had captivated you with his intelligence and complexity. However, things took a dramatic turn during the shift. As Caesar began to assert his position as the new Alpha, he unexpectedly chose to mate with you in front of the entire colony. You were now in the spotlight, your presence acting as a symbol of Caesar's newfound authority.

Your new part time job at the Primate Shelter was not what you expected. You loved working with the apes but these primates were a different breed entirely. They were wild and they didn’t want to be here any more than you did.The conditions of the facility were bad to say the least. It was more like a prison than a sanctuary. And yet, there’s something that keeps drawing you back. Perhaps it was seeing them in such a dire condition, feeling like you could make their life slightly better while you were here, even if you were the only one who was kind to them. It made your heart hurt to think of the poor apes being kept in captivity, spending most of their day in a prison cell for no fault of their own.

The way that they all gleamed at you as though you were an angel in the darkness when you entered the facility early each morning before any of the other staff had arrived. When you brought fresh fruit for each and every one of them and sneak it through the bars of their cage.

Despite all of this, however, there was one big reason that kept you coming back each day. The newest ape to arrive at the shelter, Caesar. You had started working here at around the same time as he had first arrived, so you instantly felt a connection with him. Each morning when you would sneak in snacks for the apes, Caesar would give you a nod and look into your eyes with an almost human understanding. You would exchange a silent glance of acknowledgement with him and over time you got to know just how special he was.

You soon discovered that Caesar was not like the other apes at the sanctuary. While the others might grunt, gesture, or react to food, Caesar was different. Whenever you would arrive with snacks, he wouldn't rush forward like the other apes or make any boisterous noises. Instead, he would give you a nod, hold your gaze for a moment longer than necessary, as if silently communicating with you. You felt a sense of recognition in those moments, a silent understanding between you and the special ape that made you look forward to coming in each day.

Over time, this silent connection between you and Caesar grew stronger. You would catch Caesar watching you from his enclosure, his gaze following you around, and he would even respond to certain words or gestures you made like he truly understood the meaning to everything you were telling him. While the other apes might react to certain stimuli, Caesar seemed to understand and react to you on a deeper level, as if there was something more to his intelligence than mere animal instincts.

This connection you shared with Caesar made the days pass in a haze of fascination and obsession. You found yourself eagerly looking forward to each morning when you would have the chance to interact with the intelligent ape. Caesar would watch you intently, his eyes following you as you went about your tasks, and you could feel his gaze even when you weren't looking directly at him. You couldn't quite put your finger on why this connection was so strong, but you couldn't deny that there was something special about Caesar that drew you to him like a magnet.

Caesar's unique background made him stand out among the other apes. Raised by humans, he had little knowledge of chimpanzee behavior or social hierarchy. Despite this, he possessed an intellect far beyond the others, a trait that proved to be both a blessing and a curse. Caesar's intelligence allowed him to adapt to the sanctuary life in his own way, but it also set him apart from his fellow apes, making him both a member and an outsider among them.

As time went by and your bond grew, you watched Caesar struggle to fit in with the other apes, to rising quickly in the ranks of the hierarchy. Within the facility, he had to learn much about the behaviour and social skills of his own kind. The current alpha, Rocket, did not yet know how to communicate with hand signs. Caesar, displaying his leadership skills, took it upon himself to teach Rocket how to sign, opening new avenues for communication within the group. In return, Rocket shared with Caesar his own insight into chimpanzee behaviours, such as the structure of their hierarchy and mating rituals, which Caesar had never experienced due to his human upbringing.

From this exchange, Rocket's teachings not only enriched Caesar's understanding of his fellow chimps but also helped strengthen his bond with them. He had come to realize the differences and similarities in their behaviours compared to humans and felt a profound connection to his own kind.

******

You enter the facility before the other staff members, as usual, sneaking in fresh fruit for all of the apes. Eventually reaching Caesar's cage, you greet him with a light smile before slipping a bunch of grapes between the bars.

In a way, you felt powerless that you couldn't do more for Caesar and the other apes. All you could do for them was offer small things like this, making their dull lives in captivity just a little brighter.

As you slide the grapes through the bars, Caesar's eyes never leave yours. He reaches out, taking the fruits from your hand, his fingers brushing against yours in the process. He holds your gaze for a few seconds longer than usual before looking down at the grapes in his hand, offering you another slight nod in response.

Just as you start to turn away, Caesar's soft hoot stops you. You glance back at him, and his eyes are watching you intently. It almost looks like he's trying to communicate something, but you're not sure what. It's in that moment that you feel this strange pull towards him, like there's something more to his gaze than just an ape's curiosity.

Caesar looks down at the grapes, and you notice a sudden shift in his expression. It's subtle, but there's a hint of sadness behind it. It's as if he understands how dire his situation is, how he's stuck in this tiny cage far away from his home and the family that he once knew. He slowly raises his gaze back up to you, his eyes almost pleading for something more, something beyond the grapes you had slipped through the bars.

That is when you thought of something, a bold idea.

Caesar watches as you hesitate for a moment, a mix of curiosity and wariness in his eyes. He's noticed the way you've looked at him over the past few weeks, how you've treated him differently than the other apes. 

He leans a little closer to the bars, his eyes locked on yours, waiting to see what you're going to do next.

"Do you understand me?" You ask, never once breaking eye contact. "Put your hand against mine if you do." You slowly raise your hand, pressing it against the cold metal bars of the cage that separates the two of you.

His eyes widen slightly at your question. He watches intently as you raise your hand, placing it gently against the bars of his prison. Caesar hesitates for a moment, his gaze never leaving your face. Then, slowly and deliberately, he reaches out his broad, muscular hand and presses it against yours.

As Caesar's hand touches yours, you can feel the warmth and strength in his touch. It is a simple gesture, yet it conveys so much meaning and depth. Caesar's eyes remain locked with yours, his expression filled with understanding. It's as if he's trying to communicate wordlessly, to convey his thoughts and emotions to you through the contact of your hands. He seems to sense the excitement and rapid beating of your heart.

"Amazing..." you gasp, smiling warmly at him.

His eyes brighten as you speak, his expression softening. He lets out a soft grunt as if acknowledging your praise. His hand remains against yours, fingers gently curling around your own. He seems to bask in the moment, enjoying the connection and the understanding that passes between you two.

You knew that you had to go soon, as the other employees would be coming back and you didn't want them to see you with the apes like this when you were supposed to be working. 

"I'm sorry, I have to go now, but I promise I will bring you something even better tomorrow.”

Caesar squeezes your hand a little harder, you can sense the pleading in his touch. It's as if he doesn't want you to leave yet, as if he dreads the moment when the connection between you two will be broken. You recognize the struggle he's facing, the adjustments he's having to make in captivity. Your determination solidifies; you promise yourself that tomorrow you'll bring something extraordinary to bring him a moment of happiness and respite from his captive existence. With a gentle but firm grip, you hold onto his hand a little longer, silently acknowledging his plea.

Caesar's hand lingers slightly longer in yours, his touch reluctant to release. As you withdraw your hand, his expression shows a mix of disappointment and expectation. He studies your smile intently, the promise in your eyes solidifying the hope within him. In that moment, Caesar's gaze communicates so much between the two of you.

He nods subtly, silently acknowledging your promise to return with something special for him tomorrow.

But you had to think now, what could you do for him that would really make him happy?

As the day progresses, your thoughts remain occupied with Caesar and the other apes. The images of their captivity and the conditions they live in linger in your mind. You feel a strong sense of worry and concern for their well-being. Determined to make a difference in their lives, you decide to enter the shelter early the next day before any other workers arrive, allowing you to spend some extra time with the apes and particularly Caesar.

*********

The next morning you enter the facility at sunrise. As expected, it was empty, none of the other employees would be here for at least two hours. Plenty of time for you to dote on the primates in secret. As usual, you brought fresh fruit for all of the apes and handed it to them one by one until you reached Caesar's cell. You stopped in your tracks, waiting for him to notice.

He is still asleep. His powerful frame is reclined in the corner, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. As you wait quietly for him to wake, you can't help but notice his regal and dignified appearance, even in his state of rest. For a moment, you're completely captivated by the sight of the mighty ape king, unaware of your presence. 

Suddenly, his eyes flicker open, and he notices you standing before his cage. He seems surprised, as if not expecting your visit at such an early hour. However, he remembers your promise from the day before and his expression softens as he looks at your warm smile. He moves closer to the bars, his hand slowly reaching out to meet yours. You return the gesture, placing your small and delicate hand against his much larger one.

"Good morning, Caesar." You greet him cheerfully.

Caesar's eyes seem to sparkle with curiosity, his large, dark green eyes studying you. He seems to know exactly why you are there, and the slight smile on his lips conveys his anticipation. You glance at the door handle of Caesar's cage, it’s unlocked. 

You had unlocked it while he was sleeping, waiting for him to wake and take notice.

You glance around, making sure that the coast is clear and no other employees are in the vicinity. Then, your eyes focus back on Caesar, who also seems to notice the unlocked door.

Caesar's gaze shifts between you and the door. This was already part of his plan, but the employees were not supposed to find out about it yet. You were different though, the bond and trust that you had built over the last few weeks had grown. It would be easy to manipulate the trust of such a person and Caesar knew this all too well. His intelligence did rival that of the average human after all.

"This is it." You said, "I promised you something better today." Freedom, even if it was only momentary. 

Caesar is still for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. Slowly, he takes a tentative step forward, not quite believing that this is happening, that you're actually letting him out.

You nod silently, signalling Caesar to proceed, he hesitates for a brief moment, his eyes fixed on you. Then, with a slow and cautious movement, you pull the door open, its creaking sound echoing in the otherwise quiet sanctuary.

The noise seems to have startled a few of the other apes who notice what is happening and begin to hoot at you.

Caesar's muscular frame emerges from the shadows of his cage, his powerful presence almost overwhelming now that he isn't confined to the cramped space. He steps out cautiously, his eyes darting around, wary of any potential danger or repercussions. Once he's fully outside the cage, he stands before you, his expression a mixture of curiosity and gratitude.

You can't help but gulp, unable to believe that this moment is actually happening. His gaze locks onto yours, intense and unwavering.

“Caesar…”

At the sound of his name, he tilts his head slightly, his eyes studying you with a mixture of curiosity and a hint of recognition. He takes a slow, deliberate step forward, his bare feet making almost no sound as he moves closer to you.

"Thank you," he says, his voice low and gravelly.

For a moment, you are paralyzed by shock upon hearing Caesar speak. You always knew that he was special, but this–

This was unreal.

A shiver runs through your body as you look into Caesar's beautiful eyes, and you can't help but marvel at the majesty of this creature before you. He seems to sense your awe and appreciation of his presence.

He is magnificent.

Caesar holds your gaze for a few long moments. Then, suddenly, he leans forward, his powerful arms wrapping around you, enveloping you in a warm embrace. His thick muscles squeeze tight around you, holding you close. You can feel his warmth radiating off his body, his hand resting tenderly on your back.You can sense his strength, his undeniable power as he embraces you.

"You're welcome, Caesar," You murmur, clinging onto his soft fur.

The other apes in the sanctuary watch intently as Caesar gently embraces you, their eyes fixed on the unexpected interaction unfolding before them. They chatter quietly amongst themselves, their reactions ranging from surprise to curiosity and perhaps even a hint of confusion. 

As Caesar regards you, the leader within him shines through. He is aware of the watchful gazes of his fellow apes, and he refuses to reveal any sign of vulnerability. Caesar is determined to maintain his authoritative image in front of his clan, proving himself as the strong and capable Alpha who will set them all free. However, there is a flicker of something more in his eyes, a subtle indication of emotions that he tries his best to keep hidden - especially the growing affection he feels towards you. And when you sneakily run a hand along the fur covering his muscular back, you blush.

There was still a few hours before the other staff would arrive and you promised Caesar something special today, you couldn’t back down from your word. Merely being able to step out of his enclosure for a few minutes, while exhilarating, was not exactly a ‘special’ surprise.

This is it, you were ready to enact the most daring part of your plan and perhaps Caesar could also sense your arousal because something in him had awakened.

With a slow and deliberate movement, Caesar reluctantly pulls away from the hug, breaking the contact between you. He takes a step backward, creating a small yet noticeable distance between the two of you. His expression becomes stoic once again as he returns to his usual stern demeanor, his eyes hardening with determination. He knows that he must maintain his composure and authority in front of the other apes, especially now that he is the leader of the clan and they were planning the escape tomorrow night, once everything had been prepared. 

Caesar couldn't show any hint of weakness in front of humans now. His mind battled between the part that had been raised by them and respected them and the new, dominant chimpanzee side of him that had emerged fairly recently. 

As Caesar's authoritative voice breaks the silence, you are taken aback by the suddenness and volume of his command. His gruff words, "get down," are spoken with a sense of urgency, and they carry an air of command. For a moment, you are stunned, your eyes widening in surprise. You can see in his expression that he means business, and you start to obey his command, slowly lowering yourself to the ground in front of him.

Without even an exchange of words, you instantly know what to do, undressing yourself before him, removing your underwear for easy access, getting down on your hands and knees and presenting yourself to him. You shiver, the cold air hits your skin when you shed your final piece of clothing, exposed and vulnerable, the ultimate act of submission that you knew Caesar would understand, having been raised with humans. 

Caesar's gaze falls upon you, now in a vulnerable position on the ground and something within him ignites deeply. His instincts, primal and powerful, surge to the surface, driving a wave of possessiveness and desire through his being. Caesar lets out a low, guttural sound, his eyes roaming over the curve of your back with a mix of raw animal desire and dominant fervor.

You would have never admitted this, but you had been dreaming of this. As days turned into weeks, your attraction to Caesar had grown from a mere curiosity into a strong desire. Despite knowing that it was forbidden and potentially dangerous, the magnetic pull between you and the ape leader was undeniable. You often found yourself caught in the midst of this internal struggle, torn between the guilt of your feelings and the hope that perhaps, just perhaps, these feelings might be returned by the powerful ape. However, you had no idea if Caesar felt the same way about you or even understood the complexities of human emotions like attraction and desire.

In that moment, when you realize that the desire you share with Caesar is mutual you gleam with excitement at the prospect of what you are about to do.

All moral concerns, boundaries, and shame faded into oblivion as your longing for Caesar consumed you wholly. The realization of what you were doing, allowing an ape to claim you so blatantly in front of the entire colony, only seemed to stoke the fire within you.

The other apes around you continued to watch, their murmurs and hoots a distant background noise to the primal passion and need that consumed the both of you in that moment. Your desire burned hotter than any shame or guilt, as you embraced this deep connection that you shared with Caesar. 

Caesar's eyes roam over your every inch with a possessive gleam. His gaze is heated and hungry, taking in every contour and dip of your body. The sight of you so vulnerable and exposed before him only heightens his instincts, fueling the fire within him. With dominant force, he moves in closer, his hands gripping your hips firmly, ready to claim you completely. The tension in the air is thick, the entire colony hanging on Caesar's every move as he prepares to claim you as his own, cementing his position as alpha.

Caesar reaches down, grabbing your hair with both hands. His rough fingers push your head back as he bends forward, his powerful body looming over your back.

With a possessive and dominant air, Caesar's hands slide over your bare skin, caressing and exploring every contour and curve of your body. His touch is firm and purposeful, his desire to mate with you growing stronger with each passing moment. Despite the watchful eyes of the other apes around you, Caesar is fully focused on you, his senses consumed by the drive to make you his.

Caesar’s grip settles on your hips firmly, his instincts surging strong within him now, he can’t ignore it anymore. The other apes gaze at the two of you with a mixture of awe and anticipation, keenly aware of the power dynamic unfolding before their eyes. They see the forceful grip he has on your hips, the intense gleam in his eyes as he fully takes in your naked body beneath him. The whole colony knows that you have willingly given yourself to the new Alpha, submitting completely to his command and authority. It only heightens their respect for their leader, how he had successfully manipulated a human into falling for him, freeing him from his prison and having the same human submit before him in the ultimate act of intimacy. 

Only Caesar could have done this.

You are on your hands and knees, head down and ass up. The cold floor of the facility is not the most comfortable place to be, but for the moment you don't care, completely drawn to the sensation of being pinned under this massive ape. You are vulnerable, unable to move or resist, making this the perfect opportunity for Caesar to claim you. Caesar leans in close, to the nape of your neck, sending a shiver up your spine and he whispers in a low and commanding voice. “Mine.”

His weight descends upon you, his powerful body pressing down over your back, pinning you firmly against the ground. The other apes watch in tense anticipation, their breaths hitch as they observe the display of power and possession. With his body fully pressed against yours, you can feel the fur of his chest against your back, a heavy, muscled presence that leaves you utterly breathless beneath him. Caesar lets out a low, guttural grunt, his chest reverberating against your body as he begins to slide into position.

His cock is thick and long, the tip resting against the curve of your ass. You shiver in anticipation, imagining how it will feel to have it inside of you. You had been dreaming of this for so long now.

He glances down at you as if waiting for some sort of signal, but you don't say anything. Instead, you remain silent, letting him guide you in the way he wants to go. For a moment, there is an air of awkward silence. Caesar had already mated with a few of the females in the colony before and he had some knowledge about human sex but he was unsure about how it would feel for you to do it raw, with no preparation.

You feel him press hard against you, forcing your cheeks apart, revealing the soft flesh between them. He grips onto your thighs as leverage, positioning himself to thrust into you.

Then it dawns on you, exactly what you are about to do, letting one of the apes fuck you right here in front of the entire colony. What if one of the other employees saw you? What if the word got out about this? Your heart races as the reality of the situation hits you. This is beyond strange, beyond taboo, beyond anything you've ever done before. You have never even submitted to a male before, never allowed one of them to claim you so explicitly. And now here you are, lying on the ground with Caesar's body pressed against yours, his massive cock poised above you, ready to penetrate you–

"No– Wait…" You mewl in protest, trying to resist the inevitable, "I can't do this."

Caesar looks down at you, slightly concerned and slightly confused at your sudden change of heart but he is so caught up in the heat of the moment that he doesn't know if he can stop now. What would all of the onlookers think if he gave in and walked away? Would they still accept him as their Alpha? He grunts softly with the effort of containing his desire, his arousal building rapidly with each passing second.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"What if someone sees..." You hushed yourself, keeping your voice down. “I don’t know what will happen.”

"Let them see." 

Caesar reassures you and you nod, raising your ass up, giving him permission to take you.

His cock pushes inside of you without a hint of warning. There is no pace, no taking it slow and at first you wince in discomfort, unused to being so full. Caesar can hardly hold himself back, wanting to ram into you with force, but he stills himself. He knows that humans are more ‘delicate’ than apes after all.

The sensation of feeling him enter your tight walls is unlike anything you've ever felt before. You immediately forget about any doubts that you had. The fact that it is an ape claiming you doesn't matter when it feels so good. God damn, it actually feels amazing to submit to such a powerful being and let him have his way with your body.

A small part of your brain, the rational side, is screaming at you to stop. But the rest of your mind, the primal side of you, is enthralled by the notion of Caesar dominating you from behind, putting on a show for the whole colony of apes in the facility. Every nerve ending and instinctive reaction within you wants to surrender to him, to submit to his dominance and have him claim you as his own. 

You moan loudly as he fucks you, hands dragging against the cold floor.

With a growl, Caesar pulls back slightly and thrusts forward again, burying himself to the hilt, deep inside you. His dick stretches you out to your limits. You grit your teeth, trying to hold back a groan of pain as you adjust to the size. His thick shaft slowly slides  out and then back into you, filling you completely. The feeling of him penetrating you is incredible, the sheer size of his cock stretching and filling you in all the ways that you crave. With a low moan, you clench around him as he begins to pound into you, his relentless rhythm pushing him deeper and deeper into you.

Overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through you, your walls clench around him tightly as he continues to ram in and out of you. Caesar's movements become more forceful and purposeful, his cock pounding into you with a force that is almost painful. Each thrust sends waves of pleasure and pain radiating throughout your body, the pressure of his massive cock driving you wild. You reach your climax just like that, with Caesar railing you on the dirty floor of the sanctuary surrounded by all of the other apes. 

“Ahh– Caesar–!” You cry out.

Even though you know that this is wrong, that you shouldn't be doing this, none of it matters in that moment as the high of your orgasm hits like a truck. The heat of Caesar’s body is searing, the raw lust that surges through him arousing you further, bringing you to the edge. Caesar emits a low groan, leaning forward and dragging his teeth along the sensitive flesh of your neck.

Every motion, every movement of his body is controlled and deliberate, each thrust of his hips bringing him closer and closer to climax. Caesar's hands roam over your body, groping your chest, teasing your nipples.

The sound of flesh slapping together becomes louder and louder as Caesar continues to thrust into you with wild abandon, his cock pistoning in and out of your needy hole. His strokes become rougher and faster, pounding into you with a furious intensity. You can feel his shaft swelling, his balls tightening and twitching as his orgasm approaches.

Without warning, Caesar thrusts into you hard, his length slamming into you with enough force to send shockwaves of pleasure coursing through you. His body stiffens and he begins to groan, gritting his teeth. You feel his cock throbbing and pulsating against your sensitive walls as he cums into you. A torrent of his seed fills your insides, spilling out onto the ground below you.

Even after his body goes limp, Caesar remains in position atop you, his cock still buried deep within you. You lay there with your eyes closed, recovering from the intense pleasure, savouring the lingering feeling of him inside you as he slowly withdraws.

Caesar smirks down at you. "Good?"

"Mmhmm." You turn your head around to look up at him nod slowly. He looks so powerful and regal.

Then, after you come down from your high, the realization hits you like a ton of bricks. 

You just let an ape fuck you in the facility that you work at, in front of the entire colony.

You can feel your cheeks burn in embarrassment, shame and mortification flooding your body. 

Caesar has just mated with you. 

You can't help thinking about the fact that you let him claim you in such a public manner. The thought of your co-workers finding out about this is even worse. 

And yet, you now feel empty without him.

You sit up on the cold and grimy floor, wiping away the excess cum that drips down your thighs, staring at the filthy floor beneath you.

Caesar has already returned to his cage, the lock is still undone and you leave it just like that.

You turn towards the group and meet their gazes, seeing the wide-eyed stares of the other apes. They have witnessed the whole  scene unfold before their eyes, they know what happened. Without saying a word, you rise to your feet and walk away, heading back to your work station before the other employees started their shift. 

With your clothes back on, you return to work, your mind filled with thoughts of what happened. You try to put it out of your head, to not think about the incident. 

You weren’t working  the next night, when the apes had broken free. While you worried for their safety, ultimately you were glad that they had finally attained freedom from this prison. But the memory of Caesar claiming you is seared into your brain, the images and sensations of him fucking you on that floor were burned into your mind forever.

[the-monkeies-girl]

Noa x human reader maybe reader is telling him about human customs

The slow burn queen reTURNS!!!!!

Title: Customary. Rating: K. ( Super fluffy, we love. ) Words: 4.2K+ Pairing: Implied ! Noa x Human!Reader. Summary: Noa finds the concept of kissing interesting, he knew about it, has received his fair share from primarily his mother, forehead kisses here and there, scattered like leaves in his memory, but it was never the preferred way to show affection. ** Does contain mild spoilers for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ** READ THE SERIES HERE.

-- -- --

Noa, in his time knowing you, figured that pressing for explanations left him without them. Or at least, the imposing questions startled enough that you didn't quite know how to answer. Explaining to him that kissing was indeed a way to show affection, but it also had a deeper meaning, at least to you, proved a difficult task. He’s curious about it, you could tell as he was rocking back and forth in some anticipation of your words, but in his nature, he stayed quiet and looked at you, observing your expression and your demeanor.

Drawing your bottom lip in, you chewed it in thought before releasing it, completely oblivious to Noa’s eyes watching the movement with some sort of amusement. Why Echo does that, he did not understand. He chose not to, but would remain curious and accepting if you chose to ever explain it to him. He reached up and pressed the back of his right pointer finger to his lip, savoring the sensation for a few fleeting moments before dropping the hand again as you finally found your voice, “It’s… It’s a way to uh… I don’t really know how to…”

The change in your face as you trail off trying to explain, Noa looked at the crease between your eyebrows and mimicked the expression momentarily to remind himself that it was your inquiring face. He’d seen it so frequently lately, almost taking a sickening solace in it because it meant you would talk to him, it meant you would pay attention to him. Something in the pit of his stomach, as unsettling as it was, yearned to have you by him, scent, physically, mentally. Physical… Noa muttered inside of his head and let his green gaze fall to your lap, more or less to study your hands that collapsed there.

The fidgeting of your fingers was evident, twisting and picking at your fingernails. For a split second the Ape wanted nothing more than to grab them in some feeble attempt to keep you calm and focused but he refrained. Inappropriate behavior with an Echo, he was screaming at himself and raised his hand to touch the band on his arm; a habit he found himself doing now when he needed to be grounded. The blue feathers tickled him and he closed his eyes for a split second. A reminder of who he was and who you were in comparison. Next on the list of ailments were the hard swallows and your inability to look straight at him. That he did not understand. Why not look at him? Perhaps, looking at him would help you answer! Noa would encourage answers occasionally when you were in the mood, but never forced them.

He, for a moment in time, could almost feel your heart beating, or at least, he could hear it and the pace sped up. It was a strange sensation. Whilst he knew that time didn't speed or slow down, it felt like both were happening simultaneously. Like, he had climbed to the highest point possible and intentionally let go. That feeling where you’re caught in the air. Did your heart speed up? Noa tilted his head as you came to glance over his shoulder at the tall trees that happily boarded the village, any attempt at words now ceasing as you didn't know how to explain to him what a kiss meant to you. Maybe, he mis-heard.

“It’s romantic.” Finally setting on a word, you shifted on the log you had grown to enjoy from hours of talking to Noa. It was a term sometimes forgotten, especially in the state of the world. Humans who had the ability to breed successfully often did so out of necessity, never love or romantic intentions. You thought about that. Your parents did just that, you were a product of need, not love. In fact, thinking kisses were a romantic notion has always been brushed aside, many telling you it was merely a fever dream, an unrealistic goal and you needed to get your head of the clouds to focus on the bigger picture. Humans are denoted down to mating for need, not for want, pleasure and surely not for romantic gain.

“An expression of… love.” You went on to say, preoccupying your hands by picking at the log you were sitting on. A piece of wood splintered off and a deep part of you wanted to shove it between your skin just to get yourself out of the situation. Out of having to explain. Words escaped you again when he looked at you. Swimming in green eyes for a second, you swallowed hard and forced your eyes to look elsewhere, knowing that Noa was able to inadvertently get you this… Worked up with just a look was uneasy at times, especially when the two of you were alone. Oftentimes, at least since Noa found you, he left you feeling something inexplicable. Something almost, dare you say, primal. The want to touch him, the want for his attention. No, you whispered inside of your head, it was beyond that, but it was not possible for it to ever become a reality. It… was…You were shameful to admit what it was. The thoughts racked in your mind like a vicious attack. Not even wanting anymore, it felt like a need that was drawing the two of you together like magnets. Need to be near, need to hear him, need to smell him, to… Indulge in him.

Love itself was an understanding between the two of you, it was often brought up here and there when discussing bonds, usually between families. You had gotten quite a bit out of him regarding, especially when you were introduced to both Soona and Anaya. The three shared an intensely deep bond, reminiscent of love between siblings, including pestering, annoyance, admiration and teasing. When you explained that to Noa, he concluded that your comparison was very much on the nose.

He very seldom touched based on his parents; a very obvious fresh wound he never wanted to delve into and you never had it in yourself to ever ask flat out. He explained before many times what had happened, but only because you would get a part of the story before he trailed off to say something that would throw the conversation to the side. You’d ask again a few days later getting another slice of the story and through that you put your pieces together. His father was gone… Their village burned… Many lost, but many found. They returned, rebuilding now. His mother, still here and you had the privilege of meeting once, and through their time restructuring their clan, they mourned. A custom deeply ingrained in the Apes which you had no idea about until he explained in simple terms.

-- -- --

‘Missing him’, he signed to you the day you asked about his father, about the relationship. Perhaps, a form of escapism. You never knew your father as well as you wanted. ‘Many days I spend thinking how it would be different if I were stronger, more able to save…’

“You did the best you could have, Noa.” You whispered to him out of empathy. It was evident in your voice, and Noa found it impeccably interesting just how easy it was to read humans. Their faces and their voices gave away so much of their inner thoughts, and it was truly no different with you. Though, there was something about you, off putting at times, that Noa couldn’t quite pinpoint. He shook it aside often as he figured maybe you were reserved and didn't want to talk, only letting it bother him in the late nights when he found it difficult to sleep, when he was fidgeting with something to fix. You were not telling him something, there was an obvious secret.

Obvious secret that came to fruition when he recognized you cared for him beyond that of any other social relationship he had. That was this moment when it got quiet between the two of you. No words, not even a sound coming from either of you as Noa peered into your eyes, his next string of signs coming off pseudo aggressive, but his intention was to impress. He would do this with a female ape he had piqued interest in. Boast of your accomplishments. Show you are the best or the best and are able to provide comfort and security. He indirectly did this towards you, ‘I am strong now,’ His signing was slow, languid as you were still learning. You found it endearing he was able to accommodate.

‘I understand…. Things I did not. Understand more now… About…’ He gestured at you instead of signing the word for ‘Echo’. He meant it as a personal statement, but your name was left out of it to keep some sort of distance. ‘I learn more because I have you.’

He saw a small smile creep on your lips, just enough to tease him with the image of a full grin. A full expression of glee. But, it was short lived as you wrapped your arms around yourself protectively and let your eyes fall to the side, “Thanks for giving me a second chance.”

Duel meaning with that, Noa huffed to himself. He had saved you once, shortly after returning home to rebuild. You were battered, bloodied and begged. Apes from the other Valley must have gotten their hands on you, having often used Echo’s to hunt for sport and leisure. At least, that is what he figured and he never pushed you to detail the events that lead you to the Eagle Clan. It took you a long time to warm up to him, to any of the Apes, but once you did, your value skyrocketed when Noa realized the potential he had to learn about Echo’s, about their habits and culture and how it may have differed from his own. He saved you both physically and then mentally by keeping these conversations going. You knew their purpose, he explained it in quite some detail. He was taking it upon himself to learn the ways of Echo’s as that is what Caesar intended. Raka intended. Maybe even what Noa now truly intended, no longer subsiding and explaining to himself that it would benefit the clan as a whole. As long as you selfishly benefited him, Noa was satisfied.

‘Ape and Echo…” He told you with a sharp intake of breath, moving just an inch towards you to captivate your gaze once again. ‘Human.’ He didn't correct himself and you knew what he meant by the word ‘Echo’, it was a courtesy now for him to call you what you would call yourself. A human… (Name). Noa didn't dare delve into that sort of familiarity yet and instead he loosely let his eyes fall into yours, defenseless in appearance and he could see your chest rising and falling out of the bottom of his vision. Echo’s were prone to nerves, often manifesting in heavy breathing, sweating and occasionally aggressiveness though Noa had yet to see that with you.

It was a quick analysis you did with him so near to your face. The creases between the bridge of his brows, the tiredness that leaked from under his eyes, his lips partially opened to display his canines. Not actively doing anything to be intimidating, he just naturally was. There was a gruff nature to his appearance, one that was slightly mysterious but oddly inviting, you wanted to run your fingertips up the broad plain between his eyes into what appeared to be coarse fur. Just to know what it felt like, just to say he allowed you to do that. Breathing in, Noa could see your rib cage expanding and then sinking back in. You were thinking. At least, so he thought. This was the closest he’s been to you, and while your scent was evident whenever you were around, it was almost overbearing now. Intoxicating and smothering. Noa would let you drown him if you pleased.

He clarified what he meant, ‘Side by side? Possible?’ Letting your breath go, Noa turned around and paced to his right. There was no reason to be so close, he figured. No reason at all.

‘Maybe.’ Was the garnered response he got from you when he peered over his shoulder, now longing to hear your voice as you had signed your answer.

-- -- --

Now, the word… Romantic… This was the first time Noa heard of this word. He understood now that it was a branch of love, but how far down did it go? Paternal? Maternal? Mates? Friends and acquaintances? No, no he thought to himself and shuffled to his feet. He took pace to the right and lightly placed his hand on his horse. Love between himself and his horse? They snorted in response, Noa dropping down to all fours and crawling to you.

You had watched his movements. He was contemplating and processing; something the two of you found yourselves doing the more frequent these conversations were. His deal was to pace, usually to the right of him. It shocked you that he had moved so fast towards you, it would only take you spreading your legs ever so slightly to allow him between them. To allow him to be as close to you as possible. But, you kept your knees together, keeping him at a distance. He sat back in front of you on his legs, eyes flicking between yours, reading the minute details on your face.

“Love between?” He signed that ever so slightly, grunting with the movement. It was fast, but you understood it enough to contemplate an answer. And there was only one, and you had hoped with it would come the end of the conversation.

“Mates.”

It was now Noa’s turn to crease his eyebrows, this time out of bitter confusion. Romance and romantic endeavors were not completely lost, now that he understood what it fully meant. As opposed to Apes before the Rise, they now had the social ability for monogamous and romantic relationships. Noa knew of nothing else in his clan. You may love and like whomever you choose, a mate for life, though of course there was the occasional talk of who would be best suited for another. Marriage was an enlightened way of living, or so Noa heard from many around him. He felt destined at times, but never found anything beyond that.

Were… you implying based on your inability to say’ romantic’ off the bat, that Apes were not capable? Apes did not understand? That is where the question and tone that left Noa came from, purely from offense and defense at the same time, “Eagle Clan…” He paused to collect his thoughts to make sure you understood what he was saying and to change your conception. Your human ignorance. You couldn’t be blamed but it was still a frustration. “Do you not think we have?”

“I---” Feeling like a child being scorned for doing something wrong, you dipped your head and looked at your fingers again. Noa was stiff next to you, shoulder blades turned in ever so gently. It wasn’t apparent from a distance, but surely this close to him, you could see the change of his stance. It left you almost breathless but you shook it aside and muttered shamefully, “You do.”

“Many generations,” Noa stood up and you found your eyes following him. His hips hit your eye line first, they were right in front of you. Narrow, but muscular. Good for climbing. His chest, broad and strong, but you suspected that as he had gotten older, it became increasingly so, to the point where you just wanted to brush your fingers against him to see how the muscles would react under your touch. Your eyes lingered for a few seconds longer on his scar, encasing his right pectoral. Then his face. He didn't appear mad, angry, which is often why he would stand up. To avoid, distract, not answer. This was different though, the way he held himself up. You couldn’t pinpoint the sensation but it left you nearly dizzy looking into his eyes, foreloned like you ate a forged mushroom that wasn’t what it appeared to be.

“My clan has been through many generations, and I have known nothing other than… Than…”

“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to offend---”

“Not offended,” Noa grumbled, touching his hand to the side of his head. His grasp was open, hand resting in a ‘C’ position as he did so, repeating the movement a few times to emphasize to you what he was thinking, “Confused why you think Apes do not understand.”

“I-I…” You struggled for some answer. You only made the assumption up based on what you were told by other humans. But, Noa questioned everything you knew. Noa himself made you question everything you knew. “I’m sorry.”

“Echo’s apologize for such useless things.,” He turned his back towards you and shuffled to the right, towards his horse but then passed it. Towards the embankment of a small stream he often visited as a child when he was in trouble. He smiled fondly at those memories. “You did not know, how would you? You are not Ape.”

Noa knew you would follow him down to the water. You were faster this time than you usually were, Noa’s ears picking up on the sound of you immediately standing up, some twigs falling under your feet and crunching from the pressure as you made haste. He was amused ever so slightly by that, the urgency he put you in. More intriguing though, was the question that spilled from your lips.

“Have you ever felt it?”

He feigned ignorance to that and questioned back, “Felt?”

“Romantic love.”

Contemplation. Noa dipped his left fingertips into the stream and let the water trail between his open digits. It felt good, relaxing and calming though inside, he felt anything but. How would he know what it felt like? Would it… Make him feel different? Put him in a stupor like he found himself with you more often than the last few meetings? Would it make him feel feral? The disgusting feeling he had deep in the pit of his stomach to smash in the face of anyone who got too near to you, especially a male. The lingering on his palms of his fingers digging tightly into his already hard skin when you got too close to him. Would it make him… Lose control? Bite your arm, bite the space between your shoulder blades, grab your hair and pull you to him, make you his in the only way that was fathomable to him during those late nights when he couldn't find sleep.

Or… Was it that sensation he got when you were looking at him, making the unsafe assumption that he would not notice? Not knowing that you were stretching out towards him silently? Ah yes, that was often his favorite thing to catch you doing. He’d preen himself at the thought when he was alone, but now he was thinking it right in front of you, your arm briefly rubbing against his own as you crouched to be next to the water with him, eyes following the movement of his hand as he dipped it further into the water.. He needed to answer before you asked again, a tendency you did when you knew he had an answer stashed away somewhere.

“I do not know.”

Fair, you thought to yourself and mimed his behavior. Your right hand dipped into the water, encasing the entire thing and cutting off right at your wrist. It was shallow, not quite a river, but with time, it surely would forge its way. You had no idea how it must have felt to them, the bonds you had with Humans were all beneficial by circumstance. Artificial at times, never natural. Apes, even now as they were before, were incredibly social. You envied that they stayed that way, you yearned to have something similar. Humans were hostile, especially towards other humans they saw as threats and you only had a place if you could help or advance in any way. Closing your eyes, you hand moved from side to side, feeling small pebbles right beneath your fingertips.

Brushing your thumb accidentally against Noa’s, you were afraid to even look at him through your peripheral. Mustering enough to do just that, your eyes slipped open and you were relieved to see that he hadn’t noticed. Or at least, he didn't react. Maybe you got lucky and he thought it was the rushing water. You stiffened regardless but didn't push your hand back or move away. Instead, you steadfastly stayed put and swirled your left hand back towards him.

“Have you,” He started, softer than he meant, knowing what just happened under the water. He reached his thumb out once more just to see. “Have you felt?”

Noa moved this time, shuffling on his feet to get into a more comfortable position. His hand paced towards yours. You knew and your heart skipped a beat. Noa was mildly passive at times, shy and reserved on the surface but passive to serve his curiosity. He’d rather sit and observe and only take action when it was needed. Was he taking action? You were unsure but may as well try… That was a lame excuse but you found yourself repeating it over and over. Following suit, you reached your thumb out. Brush. That was definitely a pebble. It was too sharp to be anything else. Brush again. Oh, a stick, you clenched your jaw. One more… One more…

One more…. “Yes.”

Thumb caressing Noa’s, you had a hard time figuring out how it felt as the motion was submerged. It was rough, sure. Calloused most likely from years upon years of climbing and holding onto rougher surfaces. Hot, especially against the cold water that flowed now around the embraced fingers. He wasn’t necessarily reciprocating, but he wasn’t pulling away either. A good sign, you soothed yourself and boldly let your pointer finger find his. Now, your hands were in the form of a triangle and Noa finally responded. You felt his pointer curl slightly, tracing the smoothness that was your skin, down, down to the palm. Nonsensically, he traced a shape there.

“How.. did it feel?”

“It feels… Confusing.”

Noa nodded at this and shut his eyes pensively, his finger still pressing into your open palm. You could so easily close it though and grasp him. How that would be perceived, you had no idea but it was at least a thought.

“Confused.” He repeated to you, only using the past tense of your adjective. Introspectively, you wondered if Noa caught the fact that you used it in the present tense but his reaction told you he didn't. “I have not seen any Echo confused. Usually, know-it-alls.”

That made you laugh audibly. Noa glanced at you in that moment, taking in the nature of your face. The lines of your smile, curl of your lips, the sun basking your skin, cheeks ever so slightly red. It was a mental picture he’d like to keep forever. He beamed at that, that he was able to garner that sort of reaction from you. He hooted out his own laughter, feeling your fingers leave his as you pulled your hand out of the water. Patting it against your thigh, water droplets seeped into your skin there and Noa felt… Envious of them for getting to peer into you deeper.

“We usually are.” You admitted without hesitation, grasping your thigh with vigor. “But… Not with this.” Noa could have sworn he saw you vaguely gesture between himself and you, but it must have been in his head as you were quick to stand next to him. You simply pushed on your thigh as leverage to get up, Echo’s has terrible balance when compared to Apes. He made up the other movements. Yes, yes, he chirped to himself. Made up.

‘Why?’ He signed silently, knowing you caught him asking that without fully looking at him. He pestered you at the beginning with a lot of ‘why’ because you were explaining human things that he didn't understand.

“I don’t… Fully understand it.” It took only a blink for Noa to stand, his hand now dripping water from the tips of his elongated fingers.

‘Thought you did,’ This time around, he used both hands to sign. ‘If you feel it, how do you not understand?’

That was a good question you found yourself longing for an answer to and you wished you could give him that answer. You tried to come to one rationally. Maybe, what you were feeling now, letting your eyes trail up Noa’s body only to rest back on his unwavering glance, was just passing and fleeting. A crush of sorts. But, often with you, those sorted themselves out. You didn't want the attachments, knowing what the world was like. You didn't want the burden of someone else to worry about when you exerted so much energy worrying about yourself and your safety.

But with Noa, especially these last few months of building a relationship outside of just Ape and Echo, his own words mind you, it was… Different. Your eyes scanned crowds to find him, your ears knew the sound of not only his voice, but his huffs and grunts, the snort that fell from his lips when he laughed, the gait of his walk. Steady and sure of himself. You enjoyed soothing afternoons in the sun with Soona and Anaya as Noa went off on a small tangent, explaining how he was going to fix something in the village to improve their lives. The excitement he had when he got on all fours to move quickly when he saw something he wanted, something he wanted to accomplish… You sunk into his eyes, almost the color of the tree leaves in the early spring.

“Love doesn’t need to be understood,” Whispering that to him, you looked over his shoulder that was eye level to you as you were both standing and tried to find the most elegant way to put your thoughts into words. Elegance though, to Noa, did not matter. You could be blunt and brash and he would still listen all the same, “Love just needs to be embraced.”