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phan3145 · 2 months

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Title: Slippery Slope. Fandom: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Rating: M ( Cursing, blood, minor character death, mature themes) Pairing: Eventual Noa x Human!Reader.

***Notes: I am so sorry this is so late, you don’t understand how this chapter nearly ended me. I also had no intention of making it this long. Broken record, right? Want to say a big THANK YOU to @sttudnobright for commenting on my poll, because it was their comment that made me finally realize how to frame this chapter. Tagging @imaginarydreams since they asked to be kept updated. Also, reminder to check the rating for this chapter.

Chapter 6: Jumbled

You

When you opened your eyes again you were in your bed, fire going steadily across from you, lighting up the entirety of the cave. You didn’t remember leaving that much kindling on it, but decided you must have. At least it was warm. You let out a whining groan as you attempted to stretch your body. Your arms went above your head, your back arching, toes extending before curling a few times. Your body hurt so much.

Your left shoulder blade felt as if someone had clubbed you, your thighs not faring much better. They felt tight, vice-like. You swayed your hips slightly, hearing a pop in your right joint that relieved a fraction of the tension. You brought your arms back down from where they had been resting above your head, seeing your wrapped hands. Thankfully, you hadn’t bled through the cloth, but the skin underneath felt hot. You didn’t want to think about what it looked like.

Memory flooded back to you then; the library, the boar, the leap of faith off of the horse, and then falling asleep on the way back. This caused you to bolt upright, realizing you were in fact in your bed and not riding on a horse. As you did, the large figure that had been silently sitting next to you, watching your every move, sprung to their feet. You jerked away from them, a scream dying in the back of your throat when you realized who it was.

“Noa.” You gasped, hand coming up to clutch at your too dry throat. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

Noa appraised you a moment, eyes trailing up and down your form so methodically you felt naked. You fought the urge to bring your blanket up, knowing you were still wearing the same clothes you had on before. Speaking of which, your bed was dirty now that your outside clothes had touched it. That was probably the least of your worries though, remembering how your jacket had completely lost its backing. Though summer was approaching, spring was holding on with a vengeance at night when the sun went down.

Noa, apparently done with his study of you, handed you your canteen. You took it gratefully, saying a quick thank you as you drank. He chose to speak then, “Watching over you…could not wake you when we arrived…had to have Anaya…help move your rock.”

That frightened you, turning towards your entry way to see the rock moved to its normal open position. You swallowed thickly, “You two were able to open it?”

“Was not easy.” Noa replied, walking towards where your fire was going, and bringing something back wrapped in a large leaf. “Took much time…difficult to open…but not impossible.”

You noticed as he carefully handed you the leaf, that Noa’s eyes went distant, as if he was remembering something from a long time ago. Distracted by the new object in your hand, you unwrapped it to find fresh salmon. That explained the extra kindling, he must have just finished cooking it…you could still see steam rising from the ends. You were surprised how well the leaf insulated against the heat. Leaning over, you reached for the dagger under your pillow, slicing slits into the cooked fish to release the heat. You tore and picked at the edges of it, only then realizing how hungry you really were.

Noa eyed you warily, watching as you used the dagger to cut into the meat. You were too hungry to act shy about the weapon, shoving a huge chunk of meat into your mouth using the blade as a type of spoon. You swallowed quickly, waving the dagger in the air before explaining, “In case something else ever gets in. Last line of defense. It’s better to be safe than sorry, but I’ve never had to use it before.”

Noa grunted, apparently willing to leave it there. You took another bite, eyes trailing back over to your entry. The day you met the trio, Noa was able to budge the rock slightly, just by himself. You had marveled at his power, never fearing he would ever be able to break in from the outside, regardless of his strength. A part of you was grateful that they were able to get it open, giving your body time to rest in bed and wake up comfortably. Still, you felt uneasy at the thought that only two apes had been enough to pry open your sense of safety.

As if hearing your thoughts, Noa added, “Almost gave up…several times…in the beginning could barely…find it…then together could barley…move it at all….Soona suggested taking you back…to village for the night.”

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, eyes widening, and stomach dropping. You shook your head, “No. No, that would have been a very bad decision.”

Noa scoffed, “Anaya said…same thing…do not see why…would have been there with you…as I am now.”

Before you could say anything else, Noa was in front of you again, handing you an apple. The oddness of him feeding you struck you then, taking it from him but setting it down next to you. You weren’t done with your fish, but your appetite had suddenly vanished. You carefully moved the leaf and its contents off to the side, freeing up your lap so you could swing your legs over the side of your bed. You braced your hands on the edge, leaning forward slightly, attempting to take inconspicuous deep breaths.

Of course, Noa noticed something was wrong. He crouched to be eye level with you, something you noticed he always seemed to be doing. Anaya and Soona would move freely, but if Noa was speaking to you he would be sure to be on your level, or at least mirror your body language. You tried to avoid his gaze, that feeling of being exposed returning as he commented, “You should…eat more…no food since sunrise.”

You shook your head, “I’m not that hungry anymore.”

“Rest then?” Noa asked. “Can sleep…will stand watch.”

“Maybe later,” you mumbled.

Noa’s eyes scanned your face, fighting to catch your gaze. That in itself must have been telling, as he said slowly, “You…are…upset?”

You were suddenly hot, pulling your arms a little too roughly out of the sleeves of your ruined jacket. You held it in your hand, thumb rubbing at the shredded ends of the back. You didn’t think there was any chance of mending it, wondering if there was a way to repurpose it. For now, it did keep your arms covered at least.

You looked up then, seeing Noa’s expression shift from concerned to sorrowful. You weren’t sure if it was due to your silence or your tattered jacket. You tried to put some life into your voice, softly but kindly explaining, “You don’t have to stay, Noa. I’ll be alright.”

“Want to…stay.” Noa replied, shaking his head.

“Why?” You asked, a self deprecating chuckle leaving you as you ran a hand through your hair.

Noa didn’t hesitate, “Worried…about you.”

You didn’t say anything to that. He probably had good reason to worry about you…at times like this you worried about yourself too. Usually you were fine, but then there were days where you would feel the reality of your life crash into you and panic over the situation you found yourself in. It happened the day after meeting Noa, all the ways things could have gone wrong if he was a different ape, how things could still go wrong. God…just the thought of waking up, not knowing where you were, potentially surrounded by other apes, had your stomach turning.

So lost in your own thoughts, you didn’t notice Noa raise his hand up, his thumb attempting to brush over the mark he had placed on your forehead. You flinched back out of instinct. He did the same, snatching his hand away and tilting his head at you. You forced your muscles to relax, mumbling, “Sorry, didn’t mean to do that.”

“You..do not like…being touched.” Noa paused, it wasn’t a question. “Then…sometimes you do…why?”

That was one of the questions you didn’t want to answer, knowing there were things you would have to explain that Noa might not understand. There were also things that he wouldn’t like if you explained them to him. Today had been an eventful day, you were not only emotionally exhausted, but physically as well. You wanted to trust Noa, tell him everything you kept trapped and secret in your mind, but you didn’t know if you could trust yourself. It was all too heavy, it would crush you under its weight. He didn’t push though, patiently waiting for your response. You almost smiled, knowing he would probably wait all night for you if he needed to.

Not thinking too much on the action itself, you pushed yourself from your bed, lowering your body onto the ground to be closer to…well, Noa. As much as you hated to admit it, there was something about him that brought you comfort. If you were in your normal mindset you might question that further, but for now, you wanted the comfort of his closeness. His eyes widened a fraction, letting out a small hum as he shifted from his haunches to a seated position on the floor as well. His legs were spread out in front of him, yours were bent at the knee, feet feeling the cool stone beneath you as you rested your hands on your knees. If your foot moved an inch or two to the right it would be touching Noa’s, and you had to shake that thought from your head.

Your fingers tapped out a rhythm, trying to distract yourself as you admitted, “I mainly flinch out of fear. I don’t really mean to, but I’ve been alone for so long now that…usually if something is touching me, it’s not a good thing.”

“Fear…” Noa repeated, mulling over you or answer. “Why…are you afraid…of apes?”

“Apes can be dangerous,” you replied honestly.

“When?” He asked.

Your brows furred, “What do you mean?”

“When did it…happen,” Noa clarified. “When…were apes dangerous…to you?”

“I -I didn’t say-” you started, but Noa cut you off.

“Fear does not happen…for no reason,” he huffed. “When did apes…make you afraid?”

You hesitated, throat feeling tight again “ Years ago.”

Noa leaned in closer, tone softening, “What happened?”

Well, this was it. The thing you swore you would never speak about again for as long as you lived. You didn’t have to answer, but you had come this far, and not explaining this to Noa meant that he would never understand your fear. It might even drive a wedge further between you two at some point in the future. Today already took an emotional toll on you, so how much worse could this be?

“I…I told you I lived in a vault once, right?” You stammered.

Noa hummed.

You took a deep breath then, “There was a virus- which I’m not sure if you know about. It took away the ability for humans to speak, made us really sick. Sometimes…it even killed us.”

Noa nodded, “Know…about it.”

You swallowed, “It didn’t effect most of us in the vault….I think before I was born the ones in there were immune to it. I was-was tested when I was born, and I was allowed to go outside with my parents whenever I wanted. For m-most of my life everyone came and went as they pleased, living in nature, even farming. This…apocalyptic world our scientists were always talking about, didn’t seem so bad at the t-time. I had freedom, a family, and f-friends. I lived a happy life.”

“How old…were you?” Noa clarified, “When…it happened.”

“S…seventeen.” You mumbled, pinching your eyes closed for a moment and running a hand through your hair. It had only gotten longer, and you reminded yourself then that you should cut it soon. “I wasn’t…wasn’t even considered an adult yet. I never in my wildest nightmares imagined that I could lose everyone I…it happened so fast.”

“Where are family…friends…now?” Noa asked.

You took in a breath, “Hopefully, they’re all dead.”

Noa visibly reacted to this, “Why…would you hope…for that?”

“Because the humans the gorillas didn’t kill outright,” you gritted through your teeth. “Are the ones they decided to keep as pets.”

“Gorillas…killed?” Noa didn’t seem shocked, but it still seemed like a hard concept for him to understand.

You felt a shiver run up your spine, and you forced your body not to show it as memories assaulted your mind in response to the question. You couldn’t speak, choosing instead to jerk your head once in a single nod.

“What is…pet?” Noa asked, raising his left hand in a closed fist, before making a back and forth motion with his right hand over top of it. “Not pet like…this?”

“No,” you shook your head, teeth clenching. “Not like that at all.”

You had to take a moment to swallow the anger, knowing this was a genuine question. Noa was not the one you were angry with, he was the one who was here after you got hurt. He was the one who made sure you didn’t fall off the horse. He was the one that never harmed you no matter how easy it would have been to do so. He was the one listening to you, the one who was worried about you. He cared about you.

With your emotions in check, you explained, “A pet is an animal humans would domest- tame…an animal humans would tame to keep with them. We would give them names, and put collars around their necks so others knew who they belonged to. We fed them, and gave them shelter in exchange for their loyalty and companionship.”

Noa was hesitant, but admitted, “Does not sound…bad…we raise Eagles…very similar…we wear their feathers and…have names for them to…tell apart.”

You shook your head, “It’s not the same. The clan and the eagles are the same, equal. I’ve even heard Anaya refer to Eagle Sun as your older brother.”

Noa huffed at that, looking away a moment before asking, “How is it…different then?”

“First of all,” you started. “For humans, a pet was treated as something under us. We cared for them, loved them, but they were not our equals. We chose them, cared for them instead of letting them fend for themselves in the wilderness. Secondly, the gorillas did not share the same amount of care for their pets that humans did theirs. They treated them brutally.”

“How do you…know?” Noa challenged.

You looked him the eye then, refusing to so much as blink as you confessed, “Because I was trapped in a cage as a pet for over a year.”

You’d never seen an ape be sick before, but Noa looked awfully close. His face was incredibly scrunched, and unless it was a trick of the fire, he looked two shades paler. His body seemed more hunched in, as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He breathed out the only word he seemed to be able to form, “What?”

Your hand covered your own mouth for a moment after the confession. Now that you said it out loud, it was real again. Nausea crept up on you at the epiphany, the fish in your gut souring the back of your throat. You turned away from Noa then, your other hand moving to your stomach and legs falling to the ground as you fought the overwhelming feeling. You already started, you couldn’t let yourself stop now. No one on this planet knew what happened now that your mother was gone. Someone else besides you should know. You took very deep breaths, hearing Noa start to make those humming noises again. They reminded you of the day you two had met, and that thought grounded you.

You turned back to Noa then, “My friends and I left the vault, three males and two females. We were traveling along a river, one we were very familiar with, when a group of gorillas and a few chimps approached us. We weren’t sure what to do, we had never seen apes before. The males simply stood in front of my friend and I. They had weapons, for hunting, but my friend and I had nothing.”

You saw the look in Noa’s eyes, the despair he held for you. You shifted again, bringing your knees up to tuck into your chest. You wrapped your arms around them, turning your head to face Noa as you rested your cheek on your knees. You tried to smile, “My friends were so brave, and if it weren’t for them, I might not be here now.”

“Do you…” Noa started. He opened his mouth as if to gulp the air, canines visible for a moment before he continued, “Do you…want silence?”

You shook your head, “I need to tell you, I need to say it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say it again if I stop now.”

Noa nodded, grunting as he stamped a closed fist against the ground a few times. You weren’t sure what it meant, but it might have been involuntary as he sighed through his nose, “Will not…speak…until you are…finished.”

“Okay.” You sighed, closing your eyes and letting the memories overtake you.

…

Kieran and Erik were at it again, trying to prove who was stronger. Somehow you and Eden got dragged into it, both of you being picked up and thrown over one of the boys shoulders as they ran down stream. Eden was absolutely losing it, snorting as she screamed in glee. You on the other hand, were just trying to make sure Kieran didn’t drop you. Even you had to admit though, it was pretty funny, a few giggles escaping as Kieran tried to trip Erik.

“I will strangle you if you trip me Kieran, I swear to God!” Erik shouted, stumbling slightly as Eden continued to squeal.

You slapped Kieran on the shoulder, “Fight fair! If you make Erik drop Eden he’ll have to get in line to strangle you.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Kieran called, picking up the pace, as you imagined the river’s edge was close.

You raised your head to see Micheal bringing up the rear, multiple bows and packs of arrows slung across his back as he attempted to keep up with his two younger brothers. Your eyes locked and you smiled at him, who in turn blushed and looked away. You enjoyed flustering him, not sure when he started acting differently around you, only that ever since, he had trouble keeping eye contact with you.

You would probably marry him one day. He was two years older than you, and while looks had never been something you were a particularly good judge on, you supposed he was decent enough. He was about your height, with dark auburn hair and brown eyes the color of a rich wood. More than his looks though, he was smart, smarter than Kieran and Erik for sure. He was the main hunter, knew how to be patient and find solutions to problems most wouldn’t think of. You admired that in him, how he never pretended to be something he wasn’t, never boasted or bragged that he was strong. He let his actions speak for themselves. While Eden might appreciate Kieran or Erik for their playfulness and macho displays, Micheal was the one who had your full attention.

Just as you thought that, Kieran jerked to a stop, and you felt your body go forward as he let you down, hollering his victory over Erik. Eden was still laughing, giving Erik a quick peck on the cheek in an attempt to comfort him.

“Hey, I won,” Kieran protested. “Shouldn’t I be the one to get a kiss?”

“You tried to cheat,” Eden accused, finger pointing at him.

Kieran smiled, “Key word being tried. I didn’t actually trip Erik.”

Eden rolled her eyes, turning to Micheal who was just now catching up, “I think he should be disqualified. What about you?”

Without missing a beat, Micheal said, “Absolutely. Erik wins by default, congratulations you two.”

Eden cheered, giving Erik a high-five as Kieran sulked. I patted his shoulder, “Better luck next time. Hey, I appreciate that you didn’t drop me.”

“Do I get a kiss for that?” He asked.

I snorted, “Yeah, sure.”

I leaned forward to kiss his cheek when Kieran suddenly turned his head, kissing me on the lips. I pulled back immediately as he grinned, looking so proud of himself. Of course, never one to boast when he actually does something outrageous. I practically growled at him, raising a leg to take my shoe off.

“Oh, shit!” Kieran cursed as he attempted to run.

“Get back here you ass!” You called as you chased after him, “Come take your beating like a man!”

Eden pulled Erik back playfully as he made to grab him, but Micheal was suddenly there, lunging forward and grabbing Kieran around the neck in a type of chokehold. This surprised you, but you just chuckled evilly, ready to get your revenge. Micheal saying your name however, stopped you in your tracks. That’s when you noticed his eyes locked on to something up ahead of you. Even Kieran stopped struggling as he caught site of what Micheal had.

Eden, Erik, and you all turned at the same time to find out what the other two were staring at. That’s when you saw it, apes on horseback. You had never seen an ape in person before, and you had to wonder what they were doing here. The five of you had frequented this river since you could walk, this wasn’t claimed territory. You were too scared to look away or make a sound now, feeling like something was terribly wrong. Running didn’t seem like a good idea though.

You heard Micheal call your name again, “Put your shoe back on and get behind me. Eden, you too. Erik, back up to me with Eden slowly.”

We all did as he instructed as the caravan of apes got closer. There were five gorillas and three chimpanzees. Two of the chimps were walking alongside the group instead of riding. That must mean there was a settlement nearby. A new ape settlement.

You felt Eden wrap her arm around yours, attempting to pull you back further. You didn’t want to move, afraid to look weak, and Micheal was right in front of you. He hadn’t reached for his bow yet, but his hands were ready. Erik and Kieran on the other hand weren’t willing to wait, arrows strung and pointed towards the ground.

The apes stopped then, probably 20 feet away from you, making a few noises that you assumed was their way of communication. You noticed them scanning your group, the biggest gorilla locking eyes with you for a brief moment before turning his attention to Erik. He was shifting from foot to foot, arrow pointed slightly off the ground now, as if he sensed danger.

“We mean you no harm,” Micheal’s booming voice called out. “As long as you mean us no harm. We understand if this is your territory, we did not know. We will respectfully leave and return to our homes and not come back.”

The larger gorilla huffed at one of the chimps on the ground, who paced to the back of his horse. He then turned to the smaller gorilla on his left, pointing to Micheal. You felt your stomach drop, not understanding what that meant, but having a feeling it wasn’t good. You felt Micheal’s hand on your stomach then, pushing you back as he whispered, “Start backing up, but don’t run unless I say.”

You hummed, too afraid to speak as the group slowly started inching backwards.

The large gorilla spoke then, the deep scratchy voice sending chills down your spine. “Human who can speak…comes with us.”

Ice flooded your veins then, looking to Micheal who seemed to be assessing the situation. Erik, upon hearing that, raised his bow in the air, aiming for the gorilla who spoke. No sooner had he done that, you heard a Thunk noise, and a gasp be ripped from Erik’s mouth. You turned, watching in slow motion as Erik took a step back, allowing you to see the spear lodged in his chest.

You watched the realization hit him at the same time as the rest of you, a final glance to Micheal before he collapsed. You couldn’t react, shock gripping your being as you saw Eden cover her mouth to smother the scream she wanted to let out, visibly shaking now as she clung to you. Kieran was smart enough not to raise his bow further, but he and Micheal shared a devastated look before facing the apes again.

“Run.” Micheal hissed, and time seemed to not only resume, but speed up.

The gorillas all practically leapt off their horses. The two chimps on the ground hurling spears, not trying to hit you but trying to keep you all in one place. Eden took off alongside you, and for once, you were thankful she was smaller than you, it allowed her to be faster. You heard Micheal and Kieran behind you, turning your head over your shoulder once to see the apes gaining. Micheal did the same, and you saw the calculating look in his eye as he turned back around.

He called out then, “Kieran you’re with me, you two don’t stop running for anything! I mean it!”

You heard Eden whimper ahead of you as a sort of confirmation, and you stumbled a moment, wanting to stop but knowing if you did, whatever Micheal intended to do would be in vain. Two sets of footsteps stopped echoing behind you, so you kept running, dodging over limbs and bushes as you both strayed from the rivers edge in search of cover.

You heard arrows flying alongside apes screeching and roaring in tandem. You couldn’t look, couldn’t see who was winning. You had to keep going…..but then you heard Kieran scream. You turned then to see one of the chimps dead on the ground, and a Gorilla struggling to breathe next to the corpse, half dead himself. He had more than seven arrows lodged in his chest. There were two more gorillas though, one restraining Micheal and the other…

Kieran was on the ground, body twisted in an unnatural position, with the second gorilla above him. You saw dark arms raise before fists came down over his body. Micheal struggled in a net next to him, screaming and cursing at the apes. You looked away, hearing the pain in Kieran’s voice each time the Thump of fists came down on him. You heard a wet, cracking sound following the next blow that echoed in the forest. Then, there was no more screaming. No more hits to the ground. No more sound. You knew Kieran was dead.

You heard the pound of running steps behind you then, and you knew what was about to happen. You gasped in air, forcing your body to go faster, run harder. Eden was so far ahead of you…you knew she would probably get away if she just kept going. You willed your voice to be steady as you screamed, “Don’t stop, Eden! Run faster, give it everything you have! Don’t stop until you’re home! Don’t look back, just run!”

You didn’t hear a response, but you saw her shift slightly, running more on the balls of her feet and picking her legs up higher, arms jerking back and forth harder than they were before. You saw her duck behind a tree and then she was out of your line of sight. Part of you was comforted by that, but that relief was quickly extinguished when something smacked into your back and you quickly hit the ground. You scraped your chin when you landed, letting out a small cry of pain as you wriggled in the net you found yourself trapped in.

There was a tug, and you were being dragged back towards Micheal and the other apes. The Gorilla above you huffed and snarled as you continued to struggle, raising a leg and kicking you in the stomach. You groaned, curing in on yourself as another gorilla on a horse approached.

The gorilla holding you pointed towards where Eden had been, “Find the human and their nest, take the ones who speak…kill the rest.”

Eden was going to lead them home, and there was nothing you could do about it. You felt tears start streaming down your face, as the ape holding you sniffed loudly, throwing you next to Micheal, another ape gripping the closure of the net. The larger ape growled, “Weak human…bleeding…stinks.”

The ape above you seemed to huff in agreement, and as awful as this was, you were relieved that Micheal had escaped the slaughter. You were happy he was here with you. You actively avoided looking at his brother laying on the ground next to you as you thought this.

…

The two of you were thrown across a horse, a chimp walking alongside it as you tried to track where you were and where they were taking the two of you. You were separated from Micheal when you arrived to the ape settlement. It was built on the side of a cliff, apes working on a large wooden fence around the front. As you rode in you noticed they were taking you off to the left, but taking Micheal all the way to the back. Neither of you said anything, knowing that if one of you had the chance to escape you would do so, and maybe send help for the other.

There was a crude room made from a small stone alcove in the rocks. You were taken out of the net and thrown in, rolling on the ground from the unexpected force. You didn’t try to run, the colony of gorillas overflowing, it would only be a few steps before you were caught. A makeshift door of bamboo was shut behind you, leaving you in the small space to explore alone. You decided to bide your time and look around for anything that could be useful to you. A large nest of leaves and furs was off to the side, some baskets filled with fruits, and other random odds and ends were scattered around the room. Nothing you could use at present. You tried to not look too closely at the bones that were scattered on the floor, deciding it didn’t matter if they were human or not as long as they weren’t yours.

The larger gorilla from earlier slammed open the door then, ground shaking as he made his way towards you. There was nowhere for you to go, but still you tried to back up as far away as you could from him. In seconds, your back was against the stone of the cave as the gorilla closed the distance between the two of you. You refused to cower, but you did freeze in place. His height was staggering, standing on all fours but his eyes were level with yours. Only then did you realize that looking him in the eye was a mistake, watching as he yanked you by your ankle.

You hit the ground hard, attempting to catch yourself on your elbows before he dragged you half under him. You tried not to cry or scream, thinking it would only aggravate the ape further. He jerked on your limbs, pulling you this way and that, then grabbing you by the neck. He pulled you close, taking a deep whiff before throwing you back to the ground. Your skull practically bounced off the stone below you and you whimpered, clutching at the back of your head.

This seemed to catch the gorilla’s attention, seizing you now by the hair and using it to pull you into a standing position. He chose to stand on two legs now, raising you up with him, and you barley dangled on your tip toes in order not to have all of your weight hanging my your head.

“You can make noise,” the gorilla snarled. “No point in having you if you don’t. Understand human?”

You whined, still struggling against his hold, “Yes! Please let go, it hurts!”

The gorilla made a satisfied noise, yanking up once very hard before dropping you entirely. You couldn’t help it, you collapsed onto your hands and knees while tears fell from your eyes. The pain was overwhelming, feeling like your skull was on fire, and you sobbed in fear as the gravity of your situation finally set in. Your body began to shake, the air you gasped into your lungs getting more and more shallow no matter how deep a breath you took. The ape circled you the entire time, intently watching your reaction.

“You are young,” he commented. “Will get much use out of you if you do as you are told.”

You tried to quiet your noises, tried to focus on his words. He made a fist as he raised his arm, and you yelped, wrapping your arms around your head. The ape hooted in delight, “You are smart…that is good. You will refer to me as Gol. Understood?”

“Y-yes.” You stuttered, slowly dropping your arms.

Gol reached for you again, grabbing you by the neck and hauling you up. You dangled in the air once more, feet kicking as you felt his grip close around your throat. Both hands scratched across his arm for any sort of purchase, attempting to hold yourself up to pull any amount of air you could get into your lungs. He watched you struggle before explaining, “You will come when I call, you will stay where I put you, and you will eat when I give you food. You will do what I say without question or hesitation. Do you understand?”

You nodded, gasping, “Yes!”

“Yes, what?” He huffed.

“Yes, Gol!” You practically spat in an effort to get the words out.

He dropped you to your feet then, not giving you a chance to catch your breath as he grabbed your hair, leading you by it like it was a leash. You were marched through the settlement by his unrelenting grasp until you reached the human cages. A door was opened for Gol by a chimp, then you were thrown in. You scrambled on your hands and feet before the door was promptly slammed in your face. You sniffled, watching as the apes hooted and chuffed before leaving you alone.

Not entirely alone

You heard a deep sigh behind you and saw Micheal crouching in the back of the cage. Though your body was sore and you were pretty sure your chin was still bleeding, you ran to him. He opened his arms and allowed you to collapse in them, sinking to the ground with you as you remained wrapped in each other. He tried to soothe you as you cried, but there was nothing he could tell you that would fix this. His brothers were dead, and Eden was leading the other apes to your home.

Home…you wanted to go home

As if hearing your thoughts Micheal squeezed you tighter, whispering, “I know…but we have to be smart. We will not be here forever. We will not die here. We just have to bide our time. Trust me, I promise you’ll get to go home.”

You wiped the tears from your eyes, burying your face in the warmth of his chest and the comfort of his smell. You trusted him, as long as he survived you would too. You would live for each other in hopes of making it out of here alive. Who knows, there were a few mechanical weapons in the vault, maybe Eden made it before the apes could stop her. Maybe your parents were planning a rescue mission as you sat here.

Micheal called your name then, forcing you to look up. He kissed the top of your head, holding you closer, “As fucked up as this is…and as much as I wish you weren’t, I’m really happy you’re here with me.”

You nodded, tucking your head back into his chest. Your fingers dug into his shirt, swallowing hard before you started, “I’m sorry about-”

“Don’t.” He interrupted you, “Just…don’t. Not yet. Have your breakdown now, I’ll have mine later.”

You hiccuped then, “I’ll be there for you when you do.”

He smiled then, genuinely, smoothing his fingers through your hair as you clung to each other, “Thank you.”

….

You had lost track of time, how long you had been here…but now you remembered with painful clarity. There were two things that you were sure of. The first, your home was either never found, or everyone there was killed. You woke up anxious every morning for days, weeks, but you never saw anyone from your vault brought to the settlement. The second, is that you were a year older. You had been taken in the early summer, and summer was once again upon you.

You had been here for over a year. You and Micheal had saved each others lives more times than you could count; sharing food and water, keeping each other warm during the freezing days of winter, sharing pain when punishment was inflicted…and in your case, it was inflicted a lot. You were more aware now of how tired you were, how wrong your body felt compared to how it had been. Even Micheal was not unaffected, he could no longer string a bow, even if he was ordered to. Both of you it seemed could barely carry more than your body weight.

Gol had stopped by your cage today, yanking you out while another gorilla gathered Micheal. For the first time since the two of you arrived, you were separated. You couldn’t do anything about that though, worrying for your own safety when Gol brought you back into his room. There was a large basket in the center of the room, steam billowing out of it. You thought it was food for a moment, disappointed as you approached it to find only water.

Gol grabbed your hair, as he was accustomed to, forcing you to your knees as you cried out in pain. Nowadays the pain blended into itself, to the point you were almost numb, almost couldn’t feel it. The rub was, if you didn’t reassure him that you were hurt by his actions, he would be sure to be rougher with you until he got the reaction he wanted. He grabbed a ragged piece of cloth nearby, dunking it into the water before ringing it out above your head. The water was too hot, causing you to hiss, lurching forward and away from him, your fingers running through your hair to try to alleviate the burning feeling. You didn’t mean to do it, but your scrambling away from Gol and the hot water was a mistake you hadn’t rectified quick enough.

This angered Gol, who let out a roar before grabbing you by the ankle and yanking you back to him. His hand came down and hit you hard across the head, dazing you for a moment as you tasted blood. He had split your lip. At the faintest smell of blood the Gorilla growled his irritation, “Stinking human. Even more vile with that smell on you now. You should be grateful the water is warm. I should throw you in the river like last time.”

The memory caused your body to be wracked by chills, recalling late last winter, just before spring, when you had gotten your monthly. Gol usually ignored it or ignored you until it was done, but something about this one set him on edge. He had opened your cage and dragged you from the settlement, Micheal following after you but too weak to do much about it. Gol had thrown you, clothes and all, into the river to “purge himself of your smell.” You had nearly just stayed underwater, the cold getting to you and the will for air nowhere in sight as you imagined what you had to go back to.

A moment later Micheal had dove in after you. Stark naked, he pulled you out of the river, both of you shaking. Gol had sniffed once and deemed you acceptable enough to return. Micheal quickly stripped you of your clothes, as if you were a child, while you both followed Gol back. He wore his pants, but as he carried your wet clothes he forced you to put on his dry, warm shirt. It barely kept your modesty, but it wasn’t wet or cold. It was enough. Neither of you spoke about you staying under for that long; Micheal didn’t want to believe you would leave him, and you were too ashamed to admit that for a moment you were ready to.

The shame of the memory flooded you, forcing you to find your voice, “Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

Gol threw the rag at you, stepping overtop and away from you then before sitting in his nest. He huffed as he studied his most recent trinket he had found on a scouting mission, ordering, “Strip and wash yourself. Do not put your old clothes back on.”

You swallowed and did as he said, mumbling, “Yes, Gol.”

Though you were two different species you still turned your back to him then, every nerve ending in your body becoming a live wire as you sensed the danger behind you. You did enjoy the warmth of the water once it had time to cool, but you did not languish in its comforts, wanting to be done as soon as possible so you could put on fresh clothes.

When you finished, you stood, trying not to hold yourself in a way that showed that you were uncomfortable. Gol glanced at you before rising from his nest, ordering you to follow him. You felt shame well up inside of you as he paraded you back to your cage, jaw clenched as you imagined how many ways you could kill the ape if you only had a weapon. Micheal was already there, also missing his clothes. You both took one look at each other, before quickly glancing away, and pieced together exactly what it was the apes were plotting. Gol shut the door behind you and walked away. Oddly enough, the apes had been avoiding the human enclosures completely today, and now you knew why.

It was early summer, warm enough that there was no chill, but still you felt your skin pebble. Micheal called you then. His back was plastered to the wall of your enclosure, legs and arms spread as he looked away. His eyes were closed for good measure, motioning for you to come sit. He held the only blanket in one hand and you moved without hesitation to sit between his legs, trying to avoid looking at him too out of courtesy. He wrapped the blanket around both of you then, using your back pressed close to his chest to pin a corner in place, doing the same with his back and the wall.

For once, he seemed just as nervous as you. You could feel his heart beat ricocheting against his chest. He blew out a ragged breath, leaning his head back as you curled in to make yourself as small as possible. You felt him swallow, his heart rate slowly lowering until it was back to its normal rhythm. Then there was just silence.

After what felt like an eternity, both of you sitting there, waiting for something to happen, you felt Micheal shift closer to you. He leaned in to whisper discreetly in your ear, “We have a choice to make. Their way, or our way. One way or the other, I need you to trust me.”

You looked up at him then, his mouth set in a harsh line and his eyes stone cold. You reached for his hand under the blanket, squeezing once before admitting, “You know I do.”

“Good. Try to sleep for now,” he whispered. “You’ll need your rest.”

What he was asking wasn’t difficult, no sooner had you closed your eyes did you feel yourself being nudged awake for dinner. In some cosmic joke, both of you were given fresh fruit and fish for dinner. Clean water too. You were shocked, but Micheal was not. He made sure you both ate your fill, hiding an apple and an orange in the folds of his blanket. When the apes returned to take your trough away they leered at the two of you before hooting to each other.

You sneered at the retreating apes, “Apparently, it doesn’t matter what species, all men are pigs.”

“Hey,” Micheal chuckled. “I’ve been nothing but a gentlemen this entire time.”

You scoffed, “You’re the exception, not the rule.”

“That’s more like it.” He teased before becoming serious once more, “Are you ready? We’re moving in about five minutes.”

“Shouldn’t we wait a bit longer?” You asked. “That seems so soon after they just gave us food and water.”

Micheal shook his head, “They left us alone all day with the exception of our baths. They think the privacy will help, so I say we use it against them. It’s already dark, they’re all at the bonfire. No one will come to check on us until sunrise, and we need to use every second we have.”

You nodded, “Alright.”

And true to his word, Micheal was slowly easing two bamboo bars away from where they were spiked into the ground. You were surprised he was able to do it, but he showed you where he had been secretly bending them for weeks to make it weaker. He held it open while you slipped through, then he slipped out backwards himself. He held it as long as he could before slowly releasing it. It snapped back into place and you marveled at his strength, noticing how winded he was from the effort.

“I thought…” you began to say but stopped yourself. “Have you always been this strong?”

Micheal sighed, “More or less, it depends on the day. I couldn’t show the apes that or they would have worked me to death. Can’t say the lie didn’t weaken me still.”

He turned to you then, wrapping the blanket around you. He tied the material in strategic places, ripping and tearing where he needed to so you were covered, but still had full mobility. He used the excess at the bottom to craft a makeshift carrier to hold the apple and orange from earlier. He tied it around your wrist, and just as you wondered why you couldn’t hold it he explained, “We’re going to be climbing, you’ll need both hands.”

You blanched, eyes huge as you hissed, “You intend to scale down the mountain in the dark, barefoot, and naked?”

“Yes,” he said with confidence. “It’s our best chance. I’ll go first and you’ll follow my footholds.”

As you two made it to the edge you glared at him, “You are actively insane.”

He swallowed, “I hope so, because if I wasn’t I don’t think this would work.”

There was just enough moonlight for you to see Micheal, watching carefully as he began to descend. Once he was down a few feet he stopped, holding himself up and motioning for you to follow. The strain on your arms was nearly unbearable, but the idea of freedom forced you to keep your limbs locked and straight. One foot after the other, hand over hand, just don’t look down. You repeated it like a mantra, stopping when he told you to and continuing when he told you to.

After what felt like an eternity, you heard Micheal hit solid ground. You felt your heart kick up and butterflies surge in your stomach. Just as you reached the bottom you felt Micheal’s hands brace you. You let go and allowed him to catch the rest of you. You could have screamed with joy, looking up at the cliff for a moment before turning your attention to Micheal. His brown eyes were shining with happy tears, both of you letting out a few breathy laughs. You embraced then, only for a moment, before Micheal grabbed your hand and set off in a dash to the surrounding woods.

You weren’t sure where you were going, or if he knew where he was leading you two until you came to the river. That was perfect! You could cross and follow it back home, even though you were downstream you knew this river and its path home like the back of your hand. Micheal was a genius!

You turned to tell him as much, when you noticed him picking up a rock from the ground. He examined it closely before rinsing it in the river.

“What are you doing?” You asked, tilting your head in confusion as you stared at the rock in his hand.

He looked at you then, eyes sorrowful, whispering, “I made a promise.”

He dug the rock into the palm of his left hand then sliced it, letting blood run down his wrist and into the grass at your feet. He hissed, dropping the rock and clutching his closed palm.

“What are you doing?” You nearly screamed, remembering to keep your voice low.

He smiled sadly, “Making sure you get home. Why do you think I made sure you were the one covered, and had food?”

You looked down now at yourself then to him, tears prickling your eyes, “You promised we wouldn’t die here, you promised we’d go home together.”

“I have no intention of dying,” he smirked. “But sometimes things are out of our control. It’s almost dawn, I need you to cross the river while I lead the blood trail as far downstream as I can. If I can evade them until noon then I’ll cross and backtrack. If all goes well I’ll get home a day or two after you.”

Tears were streaming down your face now, Micheal pulling you in for a hug, making sure to avoid getting blood on your blanket. You reached up then, grabbing his face in your hands and looking at him. It may be the last time you would be able to do so. With that thought spurring you on, your brought your mouths together in a clash of lips and teeth. It wasn’t perfect, but it was hungry and full of promise. Truthfully, it was a first for you both.

You felt his uninjured hand cup the back of your head, pulling you in closer as the two of you breathed each other in. You broke apart for air, taking a few real breaths before he leaned forward again. It was softer this time, his lips melting into yours as he brought your bodies together. Your hands wrapped around his neck and you felt heat pool in your stomach, mouth falling open as he deepened the kiss.

He groaned in the back of his throat, as if sensing your excitement, but ultimately pulled away. You both were panting, and he had to stop you from leaning in again, tears drying against your cheeks. His pupils were so dark they nearly suffocated the brown, and when he leaned down you thought he would kiss you again. Hell, by the way he grasped onto you, you thought he would take you right here. Instead, he surprised you, choosing to rest his head against yours. His body swayed into yours a moment, and rocked back with you as you pressed firmly into him. You felt the nails and heat of his right hand biting into the flesh of your hip through the blanket, his hold firm but not painful. When had it moved to your hip?

He let out an aggravated groan then, harshly kissing the top of your head, before gently pushing you away, “You need to go. I’ll see you at home in a day or two.”

You took a deep breath, swallowing your heartache as you took a step back. He was still breathing raggedly, nails now biting into his crossed arms. He was holding himself back by the barest of threads. You couldn’t ignore that, respecting his restraint as you slowly made your way into the water. You saw Micheal bend down and wipe his bleeding hand along the ground, away from the edge of the water. He straightened, pushing out more blood before wiping the red streak across his chest.

He noticed your hesitation, a cocky smile taking over his features, which would have seemed more natural on Erik or Kieran as he admitted, “Just so you know, in different circumstances, no one else around, I wouldn’t have hesitated. Even now, you still drive me crazy.”

You felt a blush tint your cheeks, confessing, “Just so you know…I love you. I would have married you in different circumstances.”

True fire lit up his eyes then, a joyous noise coming out in a rush as he pointed his injured hand at you, “You remember in two days that you said that! I’ll come home to you if it’s the last thing I do. If some beast manages to get me before then, I’ll find you in our next life.”

A watery laugh escaped you then, “You still believe in reincarnation?”

“I have to now, don’t I?” He countered, “It’s the only way I’ll be able to marry you more than once.”

You giggled, feeling a chill run up your spine as silence engulfed the two of you. You swallowed, whispering, “I have to go now.”

Micheal hummed, “You do, before dawn breaks. Please, be safe. I love you.”

You nodded dumbly, turning then and diving into the water. The current was strong, but you didn’t fight it, allowing it to carry you as you crossed. When you made it to the bank on the opposite side you crawled until you hit stable ground. It took effort to lift your body from the mud, but you managed. Once you were standing again, you turned to look for Micheal. He had followed you along the edge of the bank on the opposite side, giving a small wave before continuing down stream. You waved back weakly, tears flowing again as a sob threatened to escape your mouth. You choked it down, smothering any noise as you turned towards the woods. You walked in the opposite direction, just as he told you to do, hoping that home was still where you had left it. And, if it wasn’t, you hoped that it would find you in two days.

….

You wiped a tear from your face, scrubbing at your cheek slightly before turning your attention back to Noa. His mouth was slightly open, lips pursed, fingers fidgeting with each other. He looked as sad as you felt. He was true to his word, staying silent through your retelling. He also didn’t rush to say anything after, which you appreciated. You needed this reprieve now that you re-opened that wound. Could you bleed out from emotional pain? At the moment, burying your head into your arms, it felt like it was possible.

Noa moved his arm, as if he was going to comfort you, but thought better of it, pulling it back to his side.

You gasped in a breath, “When I started to recognize where I was on the river, I took off and didn’t stop until I reached home. I had never run so fast in my life…except for maybe the day we met. I found out the gorillas did attack the vault, trying to take people, but were ultimately killed. No survivors were able to report back where the vault was. We lost a lot of people though….my friend, she didn’t make it. I left with my mother a week later. We travelled for months until we settled here. That was about four years ago. She mainly built this place. I helped, but she was the one who thought of everything.”

“Where is…mother?” Noa asked, hand raising under his chin to correspond the sign with the word.

You felt the tears spring forward again, and you looked up to try to stop them from falling. You let out a shaky breath, “One step at a time…I’ll tell you about her some other day, I don’t have it in me right now. She meant...she means so much to me.”

Noa looked down then, something you said striking a nerve in him. He fiddled with the band on his arm, avoiding your eyes. A long sigh came from his nose, his hand coming up in a very human way to rub and hold his brow. His voice was rough as he spoke, “The Echo male…why is he…not here?”

You paused, wishing the words you were about to say were different. “He never came home.”

Noa kept his gaze from you still as he whispered, “I am sorry.”

You hummed in return. What else could you say? You waited for him as long as you could, but ultimately you couldn’t stay there. Your mother knew it too, which is why you both made the selfish decision to leave, sneaking away during the cover of night. You sat up then, pulling your jacket back to you from where it rested on the bed. It had been your mother’s, which she gave to you during the cooler nights of your journey. She never seemed to get cold, though in hindsight she had probably just put your needs before hers, hiding any cold or discomfort from you. You weren’t exactly present during the first half of your journey, just a shell at that point. Living as if life was a dream and nothing mattered. You wished now you could remember those earlier days, showed more appreciation for your mother while she was alive. She had given up everything for you.

Noa sniffed, pointing to the jacket in your hand, “Clothes are…important to Echo?”

You had to smirk, Noa thought it was a safe question to ask. You nodded, “Mhm. They keep us warm, and safe from the outside elements. This belonged to my mother, but now that she’s gone, it belongs to me.”

“Why were your…clothes taken?” Noa asked, lips curling up slightly in what you supposed was confusion or irritation. “After so long…sounded like…there was a purpose…do not understand.”

You bit the inside of your mouth, trying to think how best to respond. Of course Noa wouldn’t understand shame or modesty, it was inherently human after all. You decided to just spit out the ugly truth of the situation, not having a good way to sugar coat it, “The gorillas were trying to get us to reproduce…for whatever reason. Obviously, humans don’t have fur like apes, so clothes not only cover our bodies but our sexes too. Usually, if we remove that barrier in front of someone of the opposite sex, it’s a signal that we want to…mate, I suppose is the word you would use?”

Noa’s gaze finally returned, eyes piercing into yours as he asked, “What word…would you use?”

You shrugged, “We have a few words, I guess it depends on the intent. If it’s for reproduction, which in this case it would have been, then it would be called sex. If it’s with a partner, someone you care about and just want to be with, it’s called love making.”

“Partner…” Noa hesitated. “Is mate?”

“Not necessarily,” you responded. You were grateful for the brief interlude into human customs, even though the subject would have been considered wildly inappropriate with anyone else. “A wife, or in my case, a husband would be the term for a partner that I’d be with for life. A partner in general, can be anyone.”

Noa thought for a moment, “Partner can be…someone who is courting you? Not ma- husband…not husband?”

“Right,” you chuckled. The old English term was rather endearing, though humans preferred the more modern term of dating. Noa didn’t need to know that part, you liked courting better.

Noa looked to the fire then, gaze distant as he allowed his mind to wander with everything you said. You took that moment to enjoy the silence once more. Your next breath was deep, and the air felt cleaner, lighter. The weight of your past had been lifted, even if it didn’t last until morning. Just telling Noa, having him listen and show empathy as you shared your pain, momentarily healed some fractured piece inside of you. In a strange twist, you found yourself wanting to reach out to him now. The sudden pull was undeniable.

“Noa?” You called, getting his attention.

He turned to you then, grunting in response. You reached your hand out then, stopping just an inch or so away from his hand, looking for permission. Surprise was clear in his gaze, looking between your eyes and your hands, so close together but not quite touching. He hooted softly, raising his slightly closed hand, knuckles brushing against yours before you turned your palm, sliding it under his to gently grasp his wrist. His fingers twitched against your skin before you felt him mimic your hold.

For the first time, you noticed his eyes were not focused on yours, trained instead on your joined hands. He tilted his head, turning his arm slightly too in order to get a closer look at what he was holding. He had probably never seen a human up close like this before, his other hand rising to trace the details of your fingers. Your slightly crooked pinky was a moment of interest to him, then the webbing of skin between your fingers, before he moved on to the small scar on the top of your middle knuckle.

While he was focused on exploring your skin, you took the time to study his face unencumbered. You noticed all the muscles there that shifted under the weight of each new thought and emotion. How could one ape be so expressive? Mouth, jaw, and brow just seemed to be an extension of his gaze. He was an open book now that you could see close enough. Confusion, intrigue, and the desire to learn more, all written there, burning within his eyes. Now, it was reflected in his touch as well. You had to fight the urge to laugh as he brushed against the small hairs on your arm, seeming to take interest in the fact you did have hair that was not on your head. You let him continue, wanting the moment to last a bit longer.

You realized this was the first time you had voluntarily let him touch you, and sought out to touch him in return, since the river. This strange truth took you by surprise. That couldn’t be right, thinking back to all of your interactions, but coming up with nothing. Riding together would have been the closest you could think of, but even then it wasn’t necessarily voluntary. It had been out of forced proximity. Maybe that’s where it had started? You couldn’t deny the warmth of his hand, the strange feel of his skin compared to yours was like a balm. It soothed something deep inside of you. Or, maybe that was just Noa. Even that first day you met, when you had invited him back to your shelter, you sensed there was something different about him. It’s like you recognized it subconsciously, some strange likeness in him that called out to you.

Whatever it was, you were grateful for it now. You couldn’t bring your voice above a whisper as you admitted, “I’m glad you’re here with me. It was nice not to wake up alone…even if it did startle me at first. Thank you for bringing me back, and thank you for listening to me. It strangely felt…good, to say it all out loud.”

Noa’s mouth pressed in a thin line, eyes traveling from your hands, up your arm to your shoulder. They paused briefly at your neck before jerking to your face. You felt his thumb twitch against your wrist, next to your pulse, before he said, “You saved me…after your history with apes…means more now…than before…thank you…will always be here…if you need me.”

You couldn’t lie, throat tight as you confessed, “You shouldn’t think so highly of me because of that. I had no plans to save you. The truth is I don’t know or understand why I did it. I saw you fighting for your life and I just…reacted.”

Noa’s grip tightened a fraction, his gaze reflecting something similar to clarity. It was if a great weight had been lifted from his mind. That’s when his eyes lowered, his free hand smoothing over the top of yours, trailing up to your forearm before sliding back down. You watched in rapt fascination, the graceful movement of his hand as he did it again. You thought he would say something, but he didn’t, seemingly too focused on the moment. Too focused on his hand going up your arm, then back down. He didn’t seem angry or upset about your telling him the truth, so you took comfort in that. That’s when you felt your thumb, clasped loosely around his wrist, start to mimic his hand, sweeping up and down in that same soothing manner. The hair there tickled your skin as you moved it.

His eyes were never wary of yours, but you noticed a flitting back and forth between your stare and your stroking hands. It was contemplative, but soft at the same time. You both continued to just watch your hands move, easing into the actions of the other. He continued his hypnotic back and forth movement, causing a contented sigh to be released from you. The next time he caught your now drowsy stare, the right side of his lips curved upwards. Your mouth parted slightly, breath caught in the back of your throat as your heart skipped a beat. It all fell apart for you then; suddenly feeling too intimate as you continued to sit, touching Noa, in silence. You broke eye contact, looking down as you stopped moving, very slowly and gently pulling your arm from his grip. He noticed your discomfort immediately, releasing you just as gently.

Always so careful with you. Always allowing you to decide when to pull away.

He brought his hands slowly back to his lap, and you brought yours to your chest. You felt your heart pounding against your palms, and you wondered when that had started. You felt the tension in the space rise, your eyes sliding back up trepidatiously to meet Noa’s. There was that intensity again…and you wished you knew what he was thinking

“Jumbled.” Noa finally said.

You saw his mouth move, but didn’t quite hear the word over the sound of your pulse in your ears, “What?”

Noa made that same gesture he had at the library, hand to his chest, “Inside…jumbled spirit.”

You scoffed, trying to lighten the mood, “I killed a boar today, and I’ll give you the fact I hit the pavement like a rag doll, but I’m not jumbled, Noa.”

“Yesterday,” he corrected, smiling now. You rolled your eyes playfully before he continued, “You feel alone…even when you are not…do not want to be touched…but enjoy when you receive affection…scared of apes…but care about Anaya and Soona.”

“And you,” you added unintentionally. The way it rolled so naturally off your tongue surprised you.

Noa chuffed, grinning triumphantly, “See?…How can you be scared…and care at the same time?”

You leaned back against the stone ledge, shrugging, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because humans are complicated and capable of complex thoughts and feelings?”

Noa turned his head away from you, making a gesture you didn’t understand as he blew out air from his mouth. It felt like a natural response to you being cheeky though. When he turned back he pointed at your chest, “I fix jumble…you teach to read odd sounding…book.”

You tilted your head then, “Are you trying to make a deal with me?”

“No,” Noa huffed, arms crossing. “You have no say…this is what I have…decided.”

“You do realize I was going to teach you to read anyway?” You laughed.

Noa hummed, “Yes…but now I…give back.”

He was always giving back

“Ah,” you said. “And how exactly do you plan to fix the jumble?”

He moved from his sitting position then, standing in a crouch to offer you both of his hands, “Will let you know…when I figure it out…one step…at a time Echo.”

You chuckled in the back of your throat, hesitating only a moment before taking his hands. At first, you expected a swift jerk or a harsh pull upwards, but instead you felt his grip shift. He was carful of your palms, holding the backs of your hands and your wrists now as he carefully pulled you towards him. You were able to keep both feet under you, and Noa merely braced your weight as you pushed yourself to stand, making sure you were stable before releasing you all together. At times like these, you appreciated the intense focus he seemed to have around you, for it allowed him to notice the smaller details you wouldn’t normally think of yourself.

Noa looked down towards the ground for a moment, brows furrowed, then at his still open hands in front of him, before mentioning, “You have never denied…an offer…to touch you.”

“What?” The suddenness of the statement confused you.

Noa stretched out his hand then, as if to demonstrate, “When I offer…you take…when I ask… you agree…you are not afraid when I touch you…when you know I will.”

You shrugged, “I suppose, but that only makes sense. I’m expecting it.”

Noa shook his head then, arms mirroring the motion, a strange look in his eye as he tried to explain, “Ape touch…my touch…not bad.”

“Noa.” You tried to follow, to understand what he was saying, but he was either too excited or he didn’t fully comprehend what he was trying to say either. “I know you have no intentions to hurt me. I know that, but I can’t help my reactions sometimes when-”

“You do not dislike…when I touch you.” Noa interrupted, and it somehow sounded both like a question and a statement.

You licked your lips then, finally understanding what he meant. Your eyes darted to his palms before returning to his face. You shook your head, “I don’t dislike it.”

The admission made heat rush to your cheeks, even though it was an innocent statement. Noa hummed then, swaying slightly as he took a step away from you. You felt your next breath come in a bit easier. He picked up your spear from the ground, where he had been sitting earlier, leaning it against the rock of the cave before saying, “We will start there…build on that.”

The heat did not dissipate from your cheeks from his words, your mind adding fuel to the fire as you imagined multiple ways “building on that” could go. You choked down the heat enough to steady your voice as you asked, “Are you leaving?”

Noa turned then, smirk playing on his lips and brow raising, “Want me…to stay?”

How in the hell were you meant to answer that?! You were sure for a moment your brain stopped working as you attempted to process his words. As if sensing your turmoil, Noa shuffled in place, huffing, “Must return…time approaches for…Great Climb of the season...as Master of Birds I have…much to do.”

You nodded, not quite understanding, but appreciating that he saved you from further embarrassment. You cleared your throat then, legs stiff as you took a few steps towards him, “I’ll walk you out.”

Noa waited for you to be next to him before he took another step towards the exit. You walked out first, watching comically as he had to bend at the waist to get out. He eyed your entrance, wondering, “You will…be able to move rock…now and later?”

You sighed, “Probably not, I’m going to close it half way, nothing should be able to get in that way and I can still slip out if I need to.”

“Sore?” He asked.

“Very,” you half laughed. “It was an…eventful day. Not sure if I can say that it was a good or bad one though. When you aren’t so busy with preparations, we’ll start your reading lessons. So, let me know, okay?”

“Tomorrow,” Noa said confidently, swaying slightly closer to you. “After midday.”

His eagerness did not surprise you, smiling, “Alright. Tomorrow, midday. The three of you can meet me by the creek. Same place as usual.”

He nodded, glancing over to his horse, whose tail was swishing back and forth in irritation at being tied up for so long. Noa returned his attention to you then, sighing, “Be safe…will see you…tomorrow.”

“You be safe as well, it’s dark.” You stated the obvious, internally kicking yourself before giving a small wave. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

#planet of the apes #pota #kingdom of the planet of the apes #kotpota #noa #noa x reader #noa pota #fanfiction #slippery slope series #kotpota anaya #anaya pota #kotpota soona #soona #soona pota #kotpota noa #noa x human reader #noa kotpota

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fl3shm4id3n · 4 months

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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

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inkmonster21 · 1 month

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Hearts Across The Divide

You were born into the care of apes, your life molded by their ways. Destiny intervened when you saved Noa from certain death, igniting a connection that left him bewildered. An Echo saving him? It perplexed him. No matter how hard you two try, you couldn't escape the inexplicable pull towards each other, as if an unseen force, akin to fate, was binding you together.

Noa x Female!Human!Reader

~o0o~

1.) Showing Mercy

2.) Close Call

3.) Peaceful Strangers

4.) Dancing in Danger

5.) A Special Day

6.) A Kiss

7.) The Feeling is… Right

8.) Introductions

9.) Raging Storms

10.) Caught

11.) Blessings and Rejections

12.) The Failure

13.) Two Bonding Brothers

14.) Awakening

15.) The Rescue

16.) Trapped

17.) Remember Me

18.) Alliance to Save Our Own

19.) The Preparations

20.) The Ceremony

The End!

Wow! Thank you to everyone who kept me going and motivated while writing this series. Much love❤️

#noa x reader #noa x human reader #noa #pota noa #planet of the apes #kingdom of the planet of the apes #noa series

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fitsofgloom · 6 months

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#planet of the apes #roddy mcdowall #tv series #the trap #1974

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littleaipom · 2 months

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so i watched all 9 of the Planet of the Apes movies for the 1st time last year, and now im watching them all again(+saw the 10th one). It's probably just because i wasnt even close to being alive when the originals came out, because i know they're famous, but this franchise feels like such an underrated gem to me haha. And the makeup/prosthetics in the originals are so good!

Anyway here's Cornelius and Zira, i like them c:

#i probably sound silly saying that but no one told me these movies were good!! [minus the 2001 one that one sucks]#like the 3rd and 4th movies are bangers and so is the whole latest reboot series. how do you win THAT much with a franchise #planet of the apes #zira #cornelius #pota #fanart #mmkart

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fragglez · 1 year

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is there even a fandom or is it just me

#Maurice got that Facebook mom vibes #planet of the apes #pota #???#Maurice planet of the apes #rocket planet of the apes #bad-ape planet of the apes #planet of the apes fandom #planet of the apes reboot series #trilogy? idc about tags this is too much effort #pota posting

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ssha-sssh · 1 month

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"Creation" Prologue

A/N: It didn't take forever, I did it ❤️

Word count: 2,2K

Warnings: violence, mentions of blood and injuries, mentions of death, swear words

🎧 Jurii Kirnev — Prelude

Among the perennial trees with their branches reaching up to the sky, you don’t see or hear anything. There is only darkness and silence around. Clouds floating across a foggy sky. Twinkling round moon. Stars hiding behind leaves. Animal screams. The flapping of bird wings. An echo floating above the forest.

And bubbling fear squeezing your ribs.

If only they didn't find you.

It’s impossible to catch your breath or shake off anxiety. No matter how you try to calm the convulsive sighs, they endlessly escape from your chest, precariously covered by a torn shirt.

Dirty in someone else's and your own blood, you hide among the bushes, tearing the remnants of your clothes with every careless movement. You're stuck, but you're not trying to get out. After all, here you, crouched to the ground and holding your ragged breath, are not so easy to notice. Your trousers and tank top, torn by the tenacious claws of the branches, barely cover your skin stained with bruises and abrasions. Here and there, wet leaves and clods of dirt stuck to your trembling knees.

There's a knife hole in your right shoulder. There are flashes of torches before your eyes, and you don’t know where to go as the day approaches — but everything seems unimportant. After all, as soon as the moon rolls down over the hills, as soon as the first morning cloud falls along the coal sky, and there is just a little time left until dawn, you will have hope...

You're thirsty. So much so that from the temptation to stick your head out and taste the muddy water from a small puddle, you pull yourself back only when you feel someone else’s presence.

There is a noise behind your back.

The sound of cutting air reaching your ears. You don't know and don't want to know what it could be. You are just sinking into the still damp earth, after the rain that passed in the evening, under which you were thoroughly wet.

Your screams remained far beyond the forest, but it seems to you that you did not run away. And you weren't saved.

Without making a sound, you crawl deep into the thorny bushes. You cut your cheeks and neck just to remain unnoticed. With your shirt sleeve you cling to a crooked branch sticking out of the ground. Trying to escape, you tear both your shirt and the skin on your hands into rags. If they hear even one sob, they will not spare you. They were furious when you compared them to animals — but they were hardly human.

People are hardly capable of what they are thinking of doing to you. People are hardly capable of what they do to everyone who fails to escape. The wound in the shoulder stings. All you need now is to survive this night here, among the leaves whipping your face. And under no circumstances cry from pain...

You don't breathe, merging with the forest. But the noise overtakes you in your flimsy shelter.

You hope that they will not see you and will pass by — after all, they do not know this place and may get lost in the dark. You desperately praying for this. But you almost burst into tears when you immediately remember all the stories that you once heard or overheard.

What if you were found by those who know this place like the back of their hand? Those who can wander here by touch, relying on animal instincts?.. The sound that comes rips screams from your mouth.

The crack of branches breaking above your head.

It was impossible to hide here... This is truly, as they said day after day, the territory of the apes clan. Surely they prowl, around every night, killing everyone who ever wanders here.

Screaming when the sharp blade almost cuts off a strand of hair stuck to your face, you crawl on all fours, feeling your way. You grab onto the grass and tree trunks to escape pursuit, but from another blow from the blade, you fall into a ravine strewn with cobblestones.

Lying on your back, punctured by stones, you see your tormentors.

Unable to move, you bleed and cry. It would be better if it were the apes from all these stories.

Cause, they'd would kill you quickly.

"Good job. She doesn’t need legs anyway, but she won’t be fussy anymore"

"But it would be better to knock out this little bitch teeth, just to be sure"

Voices that make you choke with blood filling your mouth. Vile, deafening laughter.

They found you.

You're scared. Despair covers your barely beating heart, and the salt of flowing tears stings the scratches on your cheeks.

Blood is gushing from a fresh wound on your thigh, and you try to touch the cut flesh — but your hands are limp, like a rag doll.

When they descend into the ravine, grab you and pull you up by your elbows and ankles, almost tearing you to shreds — you squint and scream from the unbearable pain piercing your entire body. You are trying to free yourself, to slip out of the hands that cripple you. Your wrists crack and break just like cut branches. There is no escape from this trap, from these snares. You want to die here.

You want to avoid giving them disgusting joy.

Because you know what they want to do to you.

You saw and heard what they were doing in the now foreign settlement with all the girls. You grew up and realized that they had all come to terms with it. They all accepted their fate without even trying to change anything.

People, generation after generation, living, begetting other people and dying without any meaning.

Locked iron doors. Men's blows. Women's screams. The cries of newborns, children deprived of love and care. A dungeon with blackened walls and no chance of seeing at least one more sunrise... That's all that will happen if their hands grab you now.

But it cost you too much to escape for your story to end like this.

Wasting your last strength, you kick one in the groin with your health leg. He yells, cursing you and grabbing the bruised body scarp with both hands.

Dust gets under your nails and falls on your face when you almost get out of the ravine and see the sky again.

But the other one immediately throws you back onto the cobblestones, hangs on top and strangles you. With all your anger, you hit him with a sharp stone clutched in your hand, turning his grinning face into mush. You spit in his face and hiss, but his dirty, slippery hands only tighten on your neck. You are suffocate, beads of cold sweat glistening on your forehead. Scatterings of stars in the waking sky blur in your eyes.

And you think that all this, all the years of miserable life filled with beatings, insults and abuse, is finally over.

Trying to exhale every nightmare moment, you come to terms with your death. With probably your only freedom.

You imagine where you will go when you fall asleep forever...

Suddenly, the grip on your throat weakens in an instant. The sounds of brutal fighting and incoherent swearing. Wheeze, full of pain. Your lungs take in air again and you cough. Two dull thuds. Silence reigned. It’s so quiet that you can hear the blood spreading. Not yours. Raising your head and looking around, all you see is the men who tormented you lying among the dirt, earth and stones. Motionless, breathless. A trickle of blood and a quiet laugh flows from your dry lips... You notice a shadow in the grass surrounding the ravine.

Holding your throat with a weak hand, you peer into the rustle of steps and movements.

This is not a human.

But you don't care anymore.

The shadow mounts the horse. You climb up. You shiver from the cold night air, piercing to the bones and eating into your body, riddled with cuts. You stand on your feet, unsteadily. You look at the shadow, taking a step back. Small pebbles search your bare feet. You listen to the breathing of the shadow, hoarse and echoing. You feel a shadow looking at you. You back away.

Limping hopelessly, you try to run away.

Pulling on the reins, the shadow gallops on horseback behind you —and in the pitch darkness you see the green of the ape’s eyes.

With tormented palms, clutching the moss on the trees and their sharp paws, you run, not making out the road. You stumble, spitting saliva and blood, but don’t stop.

You can't hide from the ape. More are trotting in the distance. The clatter of hooves sounds ever closer as you scurry helplessly along the path.

When the sun rises, illuminating the visible plain with its rays, the earth disappears from under your feet and you fall. On your back, again. Curly shoots entangle your palms, making their way to your forearms - and it suddenly seems to you that your skin is not dirty and cut, but smooth and untouched.

But the pain returns, intensifies.

Your body seems like a sieve smeared in blood. Your heart is pounding as if it’s about to fall out at your feet. You don’t have the strength to run away, you don’t have the strength to breathe... The ape — must be a chimpanzee, if you correctly understood at least some of the stories about these animals, — dismounts, standing up to his full height, approaches you with wide steps and bends over your scratched face, knitting his eyebrows.

Right now you can't see the thoughts in the ape's pupils.

All you can see right now — is a male. And you're scared again.

Where the wound gapes on your thigh, only threads remain of the fabric of your trousers, exposing your vulnerable skin.

All you can do now is desperately cover yourself with what's left of your shirt. So that he doesn’t see how the blood flows from your neck to your collarbones, and from there to the valley between your breasts. But he sees. And his gaze is almost no different from other men predatory gazes.

You look up at him and press yourself into the tree trunk. You look like a small cornered animal.

“I won’t hurt you...” he says, sitting down on the ground and extending his hand to help you up. "Who are they? Why are you... in blood?"

Huddled in patches of wet grass, away from the outstretched hand, you tremble.

Even your eyelashes, which have absorbed the moisture of the coming morning, tremble.

“Noa” he gestures to himself, looking at you expectantly. He sighs as you curl into a ball, tucking your knees to your chest. "Do you have a name? Home? Family?.."

He saved you from a long and inevitable life similar to death - and it seems that he does not intend to kill you... But why?

How could your deceased parents, who protected you from all evil that exists, be mistaken in human actions? Could a woman who protected you at the cost of her life lie about ape's earth? Could the legend passed down from mouth to mouth be just a fiction to keep women within the walls of the dungeon? Why he help you now?..

And is this help? He killed them. This means that he can easily kill you too if he feels like it.

His hands are just as stained with blood as yours. One of them pierced his palm with a knife, which remained in the ravine. His fingers almost touch your languishing in pain shoulder. Why would he, ape, help you, human? Why is he still holding his long, furry hand outstretched?.. Closing your eyes and biting your tongue so as not to answer his questions, you shake your head.

You will not say a word to any one of the men, or any one of the males.

After your silence, that ringing louder than chirping insects, calloused monkey hands lift you from the damp ground. You fight back, squeal, scratch in frightened agony... He growls threateningly, but holds you carefully. His fur is soaked with blood from your wounds. You whine in despair.

"You have a strong spirit" his chin ends up on the back of your head as the ring of his arms wraps tightly around your shoulders. You try to free yourself again, but he is strong and stubborn. "But the body... is weak. Need help"

You feel the words he said on your tangled hair.

You can hear two more apes riding up on horses, talking about something with the male who holding you. You can see, this is also a chimpanzee. It looks like they were here for no reason. But at night?.. You try to listen to what they are saying, but you feel that you are about to lose consciousness, that you are about to fall into the abyss.

Only fragments of phrases reach your ears.

"The echo only brings danger... Destruction"

"Should I have left her? To be eaten by scavengers?"

“But why is the echo here?.. How did she escape from them?”

"And why did they want...?" the alarmed question hangs mid-sentence, amid the dawn and dew.

One of the apes — is female. And you look at her while a barely audible rustle sounds on your lips.

"Knock my teeth out?" you asking, continuing her question in a whisper. "Because I bit off the finger of one of them, and the ear of the second. I can also bite something off for them inadvertently” you assure her, shaking from fear, cold and the grip on your shoulders.

Your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth after the words are spoken. The sound of your voice makes the male who won’t let you go hooting. You feel the muscles in his neck move.

Water, at least one sip of water — is all you think about...

"Why does the echo speak to Soona and silent to Noa?" asks the third ape without any malice, only with curiosity.

The pain beats in your temples without stopping. If they are talking about you, then why do they call you "echo"?..

“Stupid Anaya,” the female shows an unclear gesture, slowly approaching you on all fours. Almost the same as you did when you were hiding. "Don't you see? She's scared"

"I saw... their faces. Without pity. They would have killed her... What else could I do?" you feel how the hands of the male holding you cover your body, stronger than before. "I don't know who she is. I don't know where she's from. But how to help her if she... Is silent?"

The annoyance in Noa tone is almost as palpable as the welt that will soon appear on his palm. But you keep your mouth shut.

"So what's your name, echo?" Looking into your eyes, swollen from tears, Soona asks.

“...Y/N” You answer her. Although you still apprehensive.

They're, surrounding you worriedly, say a lot more. They apparently intend to take you to their clan - while you rest your humming head on the ape's fur and watch the clouds change colour from purple to yellow and scarlet.

The fear and ignorance of having nowhere to go disappears. All the colors of dawn fade before your eyes, turning into ripples.

The morning light doesn't help with the darkness and fog in your eyes. At this moment, you are grateful that the ape's hands are holding you, and you will not have to fall again. You smile at the sun's rays, unable to object and almost no longer feeling your numb leg.

Taking your hands in his, Noa helps you to your feet. He grabs you by the waist, placing you on the horse. His movements are gentle — you hardly feel any pain, even when he holds your still bleeding shoulder. You can barely keep your balance, so as soon Noa sits in front, you unconsciously wrap your arms around him. Soona and Anaya are still constantly discussing something. With arguments and gestures whose meaning you don't know.

Why do you remember ape's names?..

Behind the lush crowns of trees you can see a flowering valley, which seems like paradise to you.

The last thing you hear before you close your eyes from fatigue — is Noa's voice. In the thick fur on his back you sleepily bury your nose, when he says that the road will be long, and tells you to hold on tight.

#creation #creation series #noa #noa x reader #noa x human reader #planet of the apes #kingdom of the planet of the apes #kotpota #pota #sshasshwords #fanfiction #fanfic

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blog-of-reaction · 4 months

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So were they talking to someone in space at the end there?

#noa looked through the telescope and had a reaction #so did mae #at first I just thought yeah space is awesome #but with the way it ended?#satellites #Everyone looking up?#I’m pretty sure the is an ark somewhere in space as a last ditch survival attempt #kinda like the 100 #And try just contacted the people up there #I walked into the movie knowing nothing about this series #and so when my brother told me how the og movie ended it just got even more likely in my mind #kingdom of the planet of the apes #s watches movies

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cursedvida · 4 months

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Viendo edits de Noa y Mae por que simplemente su dinámica me gusta. Note que cuando se despiden y Noa le da el collar a Mae, ambos quieren sonreír pero se contienen. Sin querer se agarraron cariño y no me lo van a negar. Argh!!! 😭

Obviamente, si es que Mae va con la pistola por si acaso y al final es incapaz de hacer nada porque no puede tocarlo. O sea yo sé que ella se divide entre la lealtad hacia su especie y el cariño que le ha tomado durante el proceso y el sentimiento de culpabilidad por haber tenido que tomar una decisión drástica mientras él se divide entre la fe porque ambos puedan llegar a buenos términos y el saber que ella le ha mentido varias veces. Hay mucho drama contenido pero mi lema es que cuanto más drama, conflicto, traición y miseria mucho mejor para una ship jajajajajaj Sorry not sorry pero fui adolescente en los 2000s tengo el cerebro podrido ya del enemies to loves con melodrama.

#Yo me crié con series como Rebelde #o sea que esperan de mí #no esperen nada bueno lol #noa x mae #noa #mae #kotpota #kotpota noa #nomae #kotpota mae #kingdom of the planet of the apes #planet of the apes #mae x noa

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archivesoftheapes · 4 months

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#Roddy McDowall #planet of the apes #TV series

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the-monkeies-girl · 3 months

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Well if her friend kidnapped her right after that I wonder what would happen? 😭

THE BEEFFFFFFF

:) I'll raise the ante a little bit

maybe you get kidnapped like two or so months later, in the dead of night ( you'd gone outside to pee and thought it would be okay for just a minute. Humans are weak, like to attack at the most vulnerable times and Noa does NOT let you out of his sight after the first encounter ) well it was not and you were taken

Noa goes into panic when you dont return because guys

GUYSSSSSSSS

You're with child.

Noa's child.

#*face down*#pota #planet of the apes #noa #you guys are giving me such inspo to write series but i nEED TO FINISH CUSTOMARY FIRST

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phan3145 · 18 days

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Title: Slippery Slope. Fandom: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Rating: T. ( Implications, Possessive and aggressive behavior ) Pairing: Eventual Noa x Human!Reader.

***Notes: I will be going on a HIATUS for a few weeks. Work is switching over tech this week to new software I need to learn, and then next week is my one year anniversary with my husband. We are going to swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove in Florida! I’m excited, but I’ll be writing in my free time and banking chapters so everyone will have more regular Wednesday updates when I return. Until then, thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting up to this point. You all mean the world to me ❤️

Chapter 10: Bad Words, Bad Feelings

Noa

When she turned, the look in her eyes had him wanting to kneel on all fours in submission. Ridiculous. He was Master of Birds, he submitted to no one. Anaya did not have the same title as him, actively looking down and shuffling back a step. He would have teased him for it, for his submission to an Echo, if the next step she took did not have him questioning his own assurance. He fought his spine’s urge to bend, remaining upright by sheer will.

Her anger was somewhat confusing, but it became clearer as she demanded, “Is that what I am to you? A pest?”

Ah. That seemed to be the cause of her mood shift. He tried to explain the situation, hoping to calm her, “Humans are…considered pests…to my clan…they have never met…a good Echo…that could speak.”

Unfortunately, this did the opposite of what he had intended. She took another step towards him, hands balled into fists at her sides. He knew she was not foolish enough to try to fight him, let alone hit him, but the idea itself was amusing to think about. He recalled her nails digging into his shoulders a few days ago, that was probably the most pain she could inflict on him if she tried. Still, he had seen that look in her eyes once before. Only once, during a time in his life that seemed so long ago now. It was when Mae had killed Lightening, using her human weapon to save Soona. It was angry, it was resolute, and there was a trace of fear behind it all.

“If we’re such pests, and you had to convince your elders, then why even bring me?” She asked, shuffling in place as if she couldn’t decide if she wanted to take another step forward or go back.

“I had…no choice,” he admitted. “You…saved my life…you..spend time with…Master of Birds…but do not…show yourself…makes apes…uneasy.”

“No choice…” she muttered, looking away from him and back towards the village.

He could see many expressions dance across her face, her eyes distant as she seemed to be thinking on his words. Whether that was a good or bad thing, he could not say. He noticed the muscle along her jaw become more prominent, before her head snapped back to him like a cobra strike, eyes holding heat worse than fire. This time, he did flinch back. It was scary, how Echos could be calm and docile, then turn like a wild animal ready to defend its existence. He did not understand it.

Her voice raised, louder than he had heard it before, “No choice? There’s always a choice! There should always be a choice. What frustrates me the most about this, is you say you didn’t have one, but I know that’s not true! You’re the Master of Birds, no one…higher than me, remember? You expect me to believe you didn’t have a choice?”

He could not meet her eye, casting his gaze downwards. He had a choice. Of course he did…though it really did not feel like one. He had responsibilities now, he was no longer a youngling. He could not keep running off with his Sunset Brother and Sister to visit a strange Echo as if his life had no purpose. The clan demanded more of him, they needed a leader who was present. Anaya and Soona deserved better from their leader too, having to assist him on days they did not see you to make up for the days they did. They each would hunt and gather food equal to three apes, while he tended to eagles and prepared for Big Climbs of this season’s apes.

Though she also assisted with gathering, there was only so much an Echo and three horses could carry. It would be better if he could bring a larger party, but that meant not seeing his Echo, or worse, scaring her. That is what it came down to. He was choosing her comfort- choosing her, over his clan. If she could just meet them, maybe even be accepted as part of his clan, then he would not have to choose. There would be no choice.

The elders of course, were the cause of this. They learned of his meetings with an Echo, smelling her on him when he returned from their visit to the library. They ‘advised’ him to either chase her away, to avoid further distraction, or present her to them so that they may learn her scent and know her. She was not a threat of course, so that should be no problem. The real problem was, if her first exposure to apes of the clan after everything she had been through was the elders, then she would never come back. The elders were…elders. They would not treat her with the respect she deserved immediately, if at all. They still did not care for Humans. Mae certainly had not helped his cause either. He thought his mother, the younglings, and a few apes only a season or two younger than him might be enough to sway her opinion in a positive favor towards his clan.

She scoffed, his continued silence stretching too long for her liking. “I knew it. And when we first met you accused me of being a liar.”

“I did not…lie.” He growled, gaze jumping back to hers. He made sure his canines were not bared, anger creeping up on him now as he confessed, “The other option…was not a choice…I had to…think of my clan.”

“Of course! Oh, and since we’re on the subject of choice,” she was quick to add. “Were you going to give me a choice? You didn’t think it might be important to tell me that you were blindly leading me to your village of apes?”

Shame burned the pit of his stomach, knowing he was untrue when it came to this. She was right, and oh, how he hated it. Still, he could only argue, “Thought…it would be better…if I did not…if you could…only meet apes.”

“I have met apes, Noa.” She hissed, teeth bared now as she paced towards him, stopping with only a few inches separating them.

Any other time, he would enjoy being this close, her scent becoming this familiar yet ever changing thing that he had memorized countless versions of. It brought comfort to him, certain scents of hers calling forth memories he had shared with her in private. He did not understand how or why her scent was not constant, but he decided he did not dislike it. At present, her being this close, hissing and baring her teeth? Her scent was an unwelcome distraction, forcing him to fight the natural instinct to bare his own canines and force her to yield to him. He did not like this feeling of having to defend himself from her. It was not natural, as an ape or as her companion.

“You know I’ve met apes before. You also know what they took from me, and what that has done to me.” She continued, voice lowering. It was softer in volume, but harder in tone, like it was coming from the back of her throat. It sounded hurt. “You know this, because I told you. I told you because I trusted you. I have never trusted an ape like I trusted you. That’s because you were never like them, Noa. Never. Not once.”

He felt his own rising anger cool and mellow, hearing her praise him even while hurt by his actions. She wasn’t done though, “Today was different…you were different. Instead of setting yourself apart like you always do, instead of being the Noa I’ve come to know…you took the choice away from me. You decided for me because you believed that you knew better. This is why I live alone, no one gets to make decisions for me. Especially not an ape.”

“Trying to fix…” He began, but she cut him off.

“You don’t get to argue this!” She said, raising a finger to point at him, “Just because I trusted you, doesn’t mean you suddenly get to make decisions for me. You’re trying to fix something that’s not broken! The way I react, the way I am, it’s what keeps me alive! But why am I surprised? This is the way apes are. With enough power and time, you and your clan will become just like them.”

The words stung, and he gritted his teeth, lips pulled down as far as he could over them, “Not..true.”

“No?” She questioned, “How are you any different? You and your clan already see humans as pests, something lesser than you, to be chased away. Do you think that’s any different from how they saw me?”

A part of him recoiled on the inside, remembering similar words he had spoken to Raka regarding Echos. He did not know then, but he knew now, and that is not how he saw her. “You are not lesser…but you are…alone…you do not have to be…apes in clan would…welcome you.”

“You think so?” She challenged.

“Know…they would.” He replied, “Anaya…and Soona did.”

Her eyes cut then to Anaya, who was swaying on his feet, arms tucked into his chest, taking in everything happening around him. He looked as if he wanted to leave, but also would not tear himself away from their Echo while she was upset. He had become strangely loyal to her…though maybe he was not the only one. Her gaze returned to him, something underlying in her tone as she argued, “Not every ape is like Anaya and Soona.”

“Come and…see for yourself.” He tried, grasping for her. His palm connected with hers, and he had just started to curl his fingers around her wrist, when she swiftly ripped her hand away. She avoided his touch, a first for them, and took several steps back, completely out of his reach. He saw her overlap both arms across her chest, hiding her hands away from him within the crook of her elbows.

It was another sting, but he refused to chase after her. “You said…did not give you…a choice…I chose…because I know…you would have…chosen to run…like you always do.”

Her eyes went almost comically wide before narrowing, “Excuse me?”

“You are…afraid.” He continued, thinking he could potentially goad her into following him. “Ridiculous…dumb…Eagle Clan…would not harm you…yet Echo is…scared…so scared…always scared…of apes…jumbled.”

With every word her breathing increased, hands clenching and jaw tightening. Anaya, seeing the same thing he did, grunted, “Noa…stop.”

He raised his arms, keeping them wide as he challenged, “Prove…wrong.”

She stood there, unblinking as she stared him down. He thought she would march back up the hill, so strong willed and stubborn when she wanted to be. A few more silent moments passed before she finally decided to respond. He could not have predicted the next words out of her mouth.

“No.” She said, no anger or malice in her tone. It was flat, emotionless. That scared him.

His arms bent, lowering slowly as he parroted, confused, “No?”

Her steps were strong, purposeful, her shoulders back and head raised as she devoured the distance she had placed between them. Though her movements were not threatening by any means, he tried to keep some space between them, feeling his breath become heavy in his chest when a tree suddenly met his back. There was something about her now, this new stance, that made his own mind jumbled. He forced himself to focus as she spoke, “No. I do not have to prove anything to you, I owe you absolutely nothing. Not my time, not my attention, not my life, and certainly not my trust.”

His brows furrowed, “You…would rather run away…than trust my clan…trust that I…would not let anything…happen to you?”

Her words were scathing as she answered. “Let me explain this to you in a way your chimp brain can understand. I want nothing to do with your clan…or you, Master of Birds.”

“Echo does not…mean that.” Anaya interjected, finally stepping forward and somewhat in between the two of them. “Echo is…upset…Noa is wrong.”

He huffed at that, “Echo thinks…but it is true…she will always…be afraid…if she runs now.”

She pivoted around Anaya as he attempted to edge her away from him. “What are you trying to accomplish here? Do you think I’ll meet your clan and just forget what happened to me? Or are you naïve enough to think your clan will suddenly accept an Echo pest because you told them to? I’m not an ape!”

“As good as,” he countered.

She scoffed, “Is that meant to be a compliment or an insult?”

“Only human…would think being called ape…is an insult.” He snorted, realizing how this was the first time in a very long while he referred to her as a human and not an Echo. When he had actually begun to separate the two terms, he was not sure. “Having the mark…will be enough…for most to…accept you.”

Her hand rose to her crown, eyes narrowing in what he believed was confusion, “The mark is enough? Why? Because there is no other ape who currently has it?”

He puffed out air from his cheeks and rolled his eyes at that, “Echo is naïve…there has never been…anything other than ape…to wear the mark.”

“So, what?” She shrugged, “I’m the first Echo, that doesn’t change anything.”

“Changes everything!” He snarled, the fact she didn’t understand the importance of her situation frustrated him. “You are not only first Echo…but first outsider to wear it…only meant for apes…of the Eagle Clan...symbol of belonging...stronger than…my word as leader…cannot be undone…once honor has been granted…that is why…I did not want to give it…in the first place.”

There was silence, her body almost going slack, allowing Anaya to push her back a few steps with ease. She looked surprised, as if a tree limb had smacked her during a climb, one she did not see. He had seen that look many times before. Even Anaya, noticing her expression, simply let his hands rest on her arm. She was far enough away now not to be considered a challenge, his mind reeling before quickly righting itself. He knew better, with humans, they were more of a challenge when they were silent than when they spoke. He waited for another turn, for her to lash out when the shock wore off.

“That’s why Soona and Anaya…” she trailed off. “Why give it to me then? You didn’t want to, and it’s not as if I was aware of what it meant.”

Still, she did not understand! She was important to Anaya and Soona, and whether he liked it or not, she was important to him. She was not an ape and she was not part of his clan, but with her defense of them from the boar, she had earned it. There were witnesses, and Soona had called upon him as a worthy leader to bestow it. He had been unsure when both Soona and Anaya pushed for the honor to be bestowed. It was not as simple as it being against The Law, that would have made his argument easy, it had never been done before! He believed it impossible.

To make it possible, he had practically re-written The Law for her. His first true act as leader; not to present a new birth to the clan, or celebrate a completed bonding of ape and eagle, but to bestow the mark of Eagle Protector on an Echo! The elders passed must have felt great shame- it was completely against ape tradition. He was more ashamed that he was not more true when the time came. He tried, but when Anaya had asked him to vocalize the reason for his refusal, he could not. He was too afraid that to say she was not ape, would hurt her. Ridiculous. She was not, she said it herself just now.

It was his own jumbled spirit that lead to his decision to honor her. He had been terrified for her safety when she had taken his horse and engaged in battle with the boar. He felt helpless, Anaya and Soona too far away to coordinate with, and no trees for him to use to assist her if she needed it. He owed her his life already, but more than that, there was a fire inside of him that screamed out that she was his to protect, and he was hers. It had been a dull sound in the back of his mind since they met, which became louder the more time he spent with her. It had reached deafening heights when he saw her body hit the ground and then go still, blocking out everything else around him as he ran to her.

He had been so angry, and so relieved to see that she was mostly fine. He was more impressed by her display of capability, that he knew that to not honor her would be wrong. It had soothed that fire inside him, to see her wearing his mark, but that same screaming terror returned when he could not wake her later that night. The only thing he had been able to think about while she slept was what would have happened if she had been alone in the same situation. She was so smart, protecting and providing for herself, which was appealing, very admirable in an Echo alone. It was not suitable. She needed someone to take care of her, to provide for her, at least in times when she was sick or injured. She was more than worthy of a capable mate to live out her days with. Someone should take care of her.

“Noa!” She snapped, pulling him from his thoughts. He was no closer to understanding the right thing to say as she looked at him. Her eyes were full of hurt and betrayal, her body looking as if it was on the verge of collapse. “Answer me. Tell me why!”

“Sh-Shelter is not…home.” He began, carefully. He did not want to be at odds with her, and he did not want to hurt her. He needed her to understand, to know that what he did, he did with good intentions. “Echo would be…difficult to accept…apes do not trust…Echo for…good reason…but if Echo arrived…wearing mark of Eagle clan…mark of honor…then you would be welcomed as any other…clan member would.”

Her eyes narrowed, “You gave me the mark so they would know I’m trustworthy, that I’m not dangerous?”

“You are…dangerous.” He amended, “Mark…shows that…but to wear it…also shows that… you would…one day welcome…a place not only…amongst the three of us…but amongst the clan…a bond…belonging…a home.”

“I would never join your clan,” she spat quickly. She found her strength again, his careful wording seeming to cause that other turn he had been concerned about. She swatted Anaya’s hand away as he attempted to pull her back once more. “Stop touching me Anaya! What do you think I’m going to do to Noa?”

“Sorry,” Anaya grunted. “Not afraid…of what…you will do.”

Her brow raised at that turning from Anaya to him, “Really? Does that mean I should be afraid of what you will do, Noa?”

“Petty human,” he muttered, his instincts flaring once more at her obvious aggression.

“What was that?” She mocked, “I couldn’t hear you over your own pride!”

He was done holding back, she certainly was not. What good had it done him anyway? The more he tried to reason with her, the more she gnashed her teeth. Might as well be the brutish ape she was accusing him of being. He raised himself to his full height, pushing back from the tree and bridging the small distance Anaya had managed to put between them, baring his canines as he roared, “You are ungrateful…selfish…only care for yourself!”

She pushed her shoulders back, stepping forward to be toe to toe with him, not afraid to look him directly in the eye as she screamed back, “Ungrateful? Selfish? Are you sure that’s not you? I don’t care? You forget, I taught you how to read!”

She had him there, but something was wrong with his mind. He could not concede, he needed to win now. “Better off…thanks to apes…would not leave…your hole in the ground…without us!”

“Better off? Better off! I was just fine before you came into my life!” Her eyes were red, but there were no tears, not yet, and he had to wonder if Echo’s cried when they were angry too. “Can you say the same?”

“Yes!” He answered, without really thinking about it. “If Echo was not here…would make life…much easier!”

“If Echo was not here, you would be dead!” Her voice cracked as she screamed that final word.

There was silence for a few racing heartbeats. She seemed to be panting, and it was echoing in the forest around them. No, that was his own breaths. He was panting just as hard as she was, anger physically rolling off of them both. She would not bend, and he would not bend. He felt the fingers of his left hand twitch, something in him whispering that he should make her bend. His canines were pushed further into his gums then, he ground them in harshly, attempting to force that thought from his mind.

What she said was true, and that brought him pleasure as much as it brought him frustration. Those two emotions were mingling his thoughts together, and her scent-…it was different today. Past the bitter and sour smell of her anger, there was something else. It was the same smell as before. The one that made him want to get closer to her, made him lose the ability to speak, but this time it was…more. It was something he wanted to investigate, to understand. Where was it coming from? How much closer would he need to be to find it? She was practically on top of him now, and still he felt too…

Too close. He was too close.

He was breaking an unspoken promise right now, and if she were not so angry she would know that too. Angry…she was too angry. He was too jumbled to think clearly, and her scent was too enticing. He needed to get her away somehow. He would not touch her, fearing that would only make things worse between them. He could only speak a half truth now, hoping to push her away using his words like he had before.

“No longer…in danger,” he huffed. “Do not…need Echo…to be here…anymore.”

“Fine!” She growled, turning abruptly away from him, “Then I won’t be here! You don’t need anything from me, and I don’t need anything from you!”

“Noa…Echo please…stop.” Anaya pleaded, following alongside her, “Both are…untrue…bad words…from bad feelings…friends do not…mean it.”

She stopped, turning abruptly to Anaya, eyes searching for something in his features. Her brows furrowed and her face crumpled, “I wish I could believe that.”

Anaya visibly shrunk, releasing sorrowful hoots, looking helplessly between their Echo and him. He snorted through his nose, unwilling to back down. She was wrong. He was wrong too, but he believed he had more than earned her trust. She obviously did not trust either of them as much as she said she did. If she did, she would have agreed to go to the village. She turned then, eyeing him up and down before raising a shaking hand to her head.

Shaking? When did that start?

She removed his gift, hair sticking up in places as she gently pulled it away. She stared at it, thumb grazing over the eagle mark. He saw the sadness reflected in her gaze, before she tossed it at his feet. It landed in front of him with a dull thud, mocking him as a dirt cloud swirled up around it. He felt the anger and desire to win melt away from him, eyes seeking hers out as his jaw went slack. Something in his chest physically hurt now, feeling as if he was back in that burning tower, plummeting to the ground and unable to do anything to stop it.

“Echo…?” Anaya questioned, hesitating as he watched her. She turned to his Sunset brother, mournful smile obvious as she reached for his neck and brought her head forward to meet his. He heard her whisper something to Anaya, but could not tell what it was. As she pulled away, Anaya’s hand hovered over her arm, but he chose at the last second not to touch her. Anaya turned to him then, begging, “Noa…fix…please.”

He reached down to pick up the crown, straightening up and locking gazes with her once more. She was watching him, her anger seeming to have completely vanished. With his own mysteriously missing, all that was left now was regret and shame. He did not know what to say, how to stop this, or how to fix it. She visibly swallowed, tears clear in her eyes, “I don’t need it. I don’t belong to…your clan.”

He could not argue with her. Her words were true, but there was a strange ache in his chest that told him those were not the words she wished to say. Instead, he nodded. He thought he heard a high pitched noise, like a whimper from her, but it was so faint it could have been his imagination. He opened his mouth, but found words had deserted him again. They had fled to her, as she hummed, “It was nice while it lasted…goodbye, Noa.”

The words caused him to feel cold, an awful realization dawning on him. Did she mean forever? She turned and began to walk away. Was she leaving for good? He had to know! He called after her, first using the term Echo, but when she did not react, he called her name. Still, she did not stop.

He called her name again, “Stop…come back!”

He took several large steps to try to bridge the space between them, when she suddenly became a blur of movement. She had crouched to the ground, straightening up and spinning around at the same time, before he felt an intense pain in his jaw. His left hand came up to clutch his muzzle, hearing Anaya gasp and screech, jumping back a few paces.

He looked down, finding a stone at his feet. His movements were sluggish now, head turning up to see her arm raised, another matching stone resting in her palm. It was poised to be thrown. The surprise was so intense he could not find it within himself to react. She on the other hand, was still shaking, shifting from foot to foot, arm still raised. It shook too. Her breathing was shallow as she said, “I’m leaving. You can’t stop me, so don’t try to.”

He nodded again, huffing several times through his nose while backing away from her. Anaya shuffled over to stand next to him, looking just as shocked as he felt. Her shaking became less intense, but did not stop. She finally lowered her arm, eyes darting to the stone in her hand before shifting to the one on the ground. She looked distraught as she stared at it. Did she not know she had thrown it at him? Had she acted out of instinct?

One thing was for certain, she was leaving. She had dropped the rock in her hand and taken off in a full sprint before he could blink. She was soon out of their line of sight, and that seemed to finally shake Anaya out of his silence. He looked to Noa, confused and upset. He screeched, slamming his fists on the ground, before turning and racing back up the hill on all fours. He called out, much louder than he had heard him screech before, “Soona!…Soona!”

No matter how many seasons passed, he would be able to recognize that sound. By the way he was calling her name, by the tone of his voice, he knew that it would not lead to good things. He chased after Anaya, yelling, “Anaya…no…Anaya…stop!”

“Soona!” He screeched louder, creating even more distance between them as he ran. Anaya was still faster than him. He would never be able to catch him as he continued to call, “Soona…Soona…Echo gone!”

He was definitely in trouble.

…

Soona was screeching at him before he could even get a word in. Not for the first time, he cursed Anaya’s natural ability to run fast and speak faster when he wanted to.

“Why would you…say that…to her?�� Soona asked, throwing an old piece of nesting at him.

He had brought them into the eagle tower, not wanting Anaya to panic half the village, or worse, alert the elders to her absence. Apes never needed privacy, but at the moment, he could not face any other after what he had done. He hung his head, whispering, “I do not…know…thought I could…convince her…she is usually…not like that.”

“Why was she?” Soona wondered, sitting down next to him, her own annoyance subdued. “I have…never seen her…angry…or upset.”

“Noa…knows.” Anaya accused, sitting away from him, crouched on the floor with his arms around his knees. The stance was a familiar one of mourning, and somehow this hit him harder than the Echo’s rock. Anaya refused to even look in his direction as he added, “Noa knows…about Echo…and apes…something not good.”

Soona turned her head, raising her brows, “Noa…?”

“Anaya…speaks true,” he said. Whether she returned or not, he decided that for the sake of understanding what went wrong, he would need to reveal her story. “We are not…the first apes…she has met.”

Soona was quiet next to him, but Anaya turned abruptly to face him. He still looked upset, but pushed himself to his feet, moving closer to Noa before asking, “Was…a pet?”

He was surprised by Anaya’s words, huffing, “How…do you know?”

“Guess,” Anaya said. “You are not…the only one…who speaks with her.”

He hesitated now, the statement catching him off guard. He knew that Anaya was close with her, but the moments he had shared with her, he wondered if she had shared similar moments with Anaya. When? When would they have had the opportunity? He recalled Anaya returning his arm band, not thinking anything of it when he mentioned finding their Echo by the water. He obviously did not know the whole story, but she must have trusted him with some of it, for Anaya to know the Echo’s meaning of that word.

Soona nudged him then, his original thoughts returning. “She told me…the night…after the boar attack…felt like a secret…so I did not speak of it after…she agreed that it was best…not to.”

“But you decided first,” Anaya grunted.

He felt his own brows furrow, “What…does that…matter?”

Anaya huffed, turning away, “Echo does not…like decisions being made…for her…yet you do…all the time.”

“I am…Master of Birds…need to decide things…sometimes.” He defended.

Soona shoved his shoulder, taking him off guard, “Still…dumb male…she is not…part of the clan…yet…you cannot…decide things for her…honor means…nothing.”

“Noa dumb,” Anaya agreed. “Echo…did not like…surprise…did not want to…be taken to village…Anaya said…so too.”

“I thought,” he defended. “If she did not…have time to…think about it…could see how…peaceful apes are…she would...be okay.”

“She met…apes before.” Soona asked, “That were not…peaceful…like…Proximus?”

He shuffled, arms folding around his own knees as he confessed, “I think…worse.”

#planet of the apes #pota #kingdom of the planet of the apes #kotpota #noa #noa x reader #noa pota #fanfiction #kotpota noa #noa kotpota #noa x human reader #kotpota anaya #anaya pota #kotpota soona #soona pota #soona #anaya #Slippery Slope Series

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fl3shm4id3n · 4 months

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ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴇ (ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɪ): ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴇ

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

ꜱᴏɴɢ: ᴋᴀɴʏᴇ ᴡᴇꜱᴛ - ʀᴜɴᴀᴡᴀʏ

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

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inkmonster21 · 4 days

Text

Hearts Across the Divide

20.) The Ceremony

Noa x Fem!Human!Reader

Series Masterlist

Warning: SMUT

~oOo~

The bright morning sun streamed through the curtains, its warm light slowly invading the small space of your hut. As you slowly open your eyes, the brightness makes you squint, adjusting to the sudden brightness.

The knowledge that today was the day sent a mixture of excitement and nerves coursing through your veins. The day you and Noa would finally and fully be together, bound in a union that would solidify your love and partnership.

Your mother burst into the space with an air of excitement, holding in her hands the short garb for the ceremony and a crown of fresh, vibrant flowers. She is filled with anticipation, the significance of the day not lost on her.

Your mother approaches you with a warm, radiant smile, her voice filled with pride and affection. "It is your day," she says, leaning closer to press her head against yours in a gesture of love and support.

As you rise to your feet, you feel an inner strength and confidence. You are ready for what is to come, the mixture of excitement and nerves replaced by a sense of determination and acceptance. You stand tall, feeling the energy and anticipation of the day wash over you.

You swiftly remove your regular attire, slipping on the short, airy garment over your form, still modest. Unlike the other. Your mother carefully places the crown of flowers on your head, its brilliant colors adding a touch of beauty and elegance to your appearance.

Your mother takes your hands in hers, her grip gentle but tight. She gazes at you with fondness and appreciation, her eyes welling up slightly as she repeats, "You are beautiful." The words are spoken with such sincerity and awe that it sends a warm feeling through your chest.

“Are you ready?” As your mother asks the question, you take a deep breath, steadying yourself before responding. "I'm ready," you reply, your voice firm and determined. There are still nerves and anticipation fluttering in your stomach, but you feel more certain than ever that this is what you want.

With each step toward the large hall, you notice a subtle shift in the air around you. The once bustling village now stands still and silent, the villagers having moved inside to await the ceremony. As you approach the closed doors, a mixture of excitement and anticipation fills your being. Beyond these doors lies Noa, your future, and a lifetime of companionship.

You inhale deeply, steadying your nerves and quelling the flutter of butterflies in your stomach. Slowly, you step through the entrance, the doors swinging open to reveal the spacious hall where the ceremony is to take place.

As you enter the hall, all eyes turn to you, the colorful, flowing garment and the vibrant flowers on your head capturing their attention. But the only gaze that truly matters is that of Noa, who stands waiting for you at the end of the long aisle, his face a mixture of awe and excitement.

You feel your mother's firm yet gentle grip on your arm as she walks beside you, her pride and love are evident in her every movement. Step by step, you make your way down the aisle towards Noa, each stride bringing you closer to the moment you have been eagerly anticipating.

Loui stands beside Noa, his face beaming with pride and happiness. As you approach, he greets you warmly, his voice filled with affection. "Sister," he says, a touch of emotion in his tone. The word holds deep meaning and significance, representing the strong bond that will soon be formed between you and Noa.

Loui's deep, booming voice echoes through the hall, capturing everyone's attention. He stands tall and proud as he addresses the assembled apes. "Today," he begins, his voice filled with ceremony and solemnity, "is a special day."

Loui continues, his words filled with gravitas and importance. "Two clans, once separate, are now joining together as one. We will stand side by side in times of war and peace, forming a bond of unwavering strength and resilience." He gestures to Noa, who stands beside him, the Master of Birds. "Noa, the trusted and dedicated leader, will lead apes into the future with courage and wisdom."

Loui locks his gaze with yours, his eyes filled with pride and confidence. He nods in affirmation before continuing. "And he will do it all," he repeats, emphasizing the significance of the next words, "with our own member, our sister, at his side." The words carry heavy weight, as the apes acknowledge the crucial role you will play beside Noa.

Loui now directs his question to Noa, his gaze steady and searching. "Do you accept the responsibility?" he asks, his tone filled with a hint of command. "To hold to our clan, as you hold our dear sister?" There is an unspoken challenge in Loui's words, a test of Noa's loyalty and intentions towards you.

Noa locks eyes with Loui, giving a firm and determined nod. The response is simple yet resolute, his expression unwavering. There is no doubt in his answer, no hesitation in his determination to uphold this responsibility.

Loui's gaze shifts to you, his eyes flickering with both concern and curiosity. "And you, sister," he asks, his voice softer now, "do you believe he is worthy of your life?" The question hangs heavily in the air, as all eyes in the room turn to you, awaiting your response.

You respond with a firm and confident nod, your smile radiant and full of conviction. The words are unnecessary, and your expression speaking volumes. Your answer is a clear and unwavering affirmation of your certainty in Noa, your trust in him, and your readiness to pledge your life to him.

Loui's smile widens, his eyes filling with a sense of finality. "Very well," he says before turning behind him. He retrieves Wuka's staff, commanding Noa to kneel. Noa obediently follows the instruction, lowering himself to one knee, and awaiting the next step in the ceremony.

Loui gently places Wuka's staff on Noa's shoulders, the smooth wood resting on each side. Then, he blows a gentle puff of Ashe towards Noa, a traditional symbol of blessing and protection. The action holds deep spiritual significance, signaling the sealing of the bond and the commitment made.

As Loui commands, "Rise," Noa rises to his feet, the weight of the staff on his shoulders grounding him. The ceremony is complete.

With the ceremony complete, Loui steps forward, his presence commanding attention. He positions himself in front of both you and Noa, his expression filled with solemnity and respect. The apes in the room watch on, their eyes following Loui's every move, anticipation in the air.

Loui raises his voice, addressing the onlookers as he presents the newly bonded pair. "Presenting our brother," he begins, then turns to Noa, "Master of Birds, Noa," before shifting his gaze to you, "and his mate."

The words resonate throughout the room, officially acknowledging your union and Noa's new title. The apes watch silently, their expressions filled with a mix of respect and admiration.

As you and Noa walk down the aisle, hand in hand, the sounds of cheers and hoots fill the air. The apes in attendance express their approval and joy through their expressions and exclamations. Their celebration of your union adds a touch of festivity to the atmosphere, making the moment even more momentous.

You look to Noa, your eyes meeting his. You see in him a mix of pride and love. His grip on your hand is firm but gentle, a physical sign of the bond that has been formed between you. The cheers and hoots fade into the background, your focus solely on No a and the new chapter of your life together.

While you had officially become mates in the ceremony, you knew there was still another important event looming ahead. The Eagle Clan ceremony. This would be the official moment when you would be fully accepted into Noa's Eagle Clan, solidifying your place in their community and ensuring that you would be recognized as a full member of the clan.

You turn to face your small hut, your heart filled with mixed emotions. As your belongings are packed away and loaded onto a horse, you can't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. The hut has been your home, a space where you've spent many moments and memories. But now, all of it is changing. Your life is about to take a new turn, and though it's bittersweet, you can't deny the excitement and anticipation that comes with it.

You turn to look at Loui, He stands beside you, a sly smile on his face as he gestures towards your small hut. "That's my room now," he says, his tone light-hearted yet tinged with a hint of playfulness.

You let out a laugh, rolling your eyes playfully at Loui's words. "That's fine," you reply, a hint of sarcasm in your tone. "I'm sure that as the Eagle clan's mother, I'll have a... nicer view." Your words are a subtle jab at his decision to take over your small hut, but there's a jestful undertone in your voice, ensuring that he knows you're not truly upset.

You feel the warmth of Loui's embrace as he draws you close, his strong arms wrapping around you. His words, "I am proud of you, sister," resonate deeply within you. The feeling of validation and love from your brother brings a sense of contentment and happiness. You lean into the embrace, cherishing this moment of familial connection amidst the changes taking place in your life.

Noa approaches you and Loui, a warm smile on his face. He nods to both of you before announcing, "We are ready to travel." His words bring a sense of finality to the moment, signaling that it is time to embark on the journey to the Eagle Clan's territory.

You follow Noa towards his horse, the anticipation building within you. He helps you mount the horse with ease, his strong hands guiding you onto its back. Once you are seated, he takes his place behind you, wrapping his arms around you to steady himself. The touch is familiar yet still tinged with excitement, as you can feel the warmth of his chest against your back.

Noa leans closer, his mouth coming dangerously close to your delicate skin. You feel the warmth of his breath upon your neck as he whispers, "Not much longer." The words, barely audible yet filled with anticipation, send a shiver down your spine, igniting a fluttering sensation within you.

Your thoughts are consumed with a burning desire to reach out and touch Noa, to feel his mouth upon yours and explore every inch of his body. But you know you must restrain yourself, that the time for intimacy would come later. Still, the want and need within you are undeniable, a fierce yearning that ignites a fire deep within your core.

As Noa rides into the territory of the Eagle clan, you can feel the excitement in the air, the people gathering around to welcome him home. They cast curious gazes in your direction, their faces filled with both joy and anticipation at seeing Noa's new mate. The sight of you sitting in front of him sparks a mix of emotions in the onlookers, their reactions ranging from excitement to perhaps a touch of jealousy.

The fact of your status as the mate of a leader was indeed a rare and unexpected event. The Elders, conservative and traditional in their ways, made their disapproval clear, voicing their concerns about the unconventional nature of this union. But Noa was resolute, standing firm in his belief that he was making the right decision for himself and the clan. He had brushed aside their rejections, determined to follow his heart and forge a new path forward.

As Noa dismounted the horse, he extended his hand to assist you off as well. With firm yet gentle hands, he helped you safely to the ground, making sure you had steady footing. The strength in his touch was a reassuring presence, a silent promise of his unwavering support and protection.

As the clan members approach in groups to hear about Noa's adventures and tales of bravery, you notice a young ape standing nearby, peering at you curiously. When you turn to face them, a look of fear appears on their face, and they take a step back. The sight of their timid reaction tugs at your heart, and you crouch down to their level, trying to make yourself appear less intimidating.

You slowly extend your hand out, offering a gentle gesture of reassurance. "It's okay." Your voice is soft and soothing, hoping to ease the child's fear. You maintain a steady and calming demeanor, keeping your body language open and non-threatening.

With a warm smile, you take the flower crown off your head and distribute the individual flowers to the young apes. Their eyes light up with wonder and curiosity, their faces filled with excitement as they receive the small but precious gifts. The adults observe you with a newfound respect, their gazes filled with admiration and acceptance. In their eyes, you become a symbol of peace, kindness, and unity, a welcome figure in their community.

Dar and your mother both watch you intently as you engage with the clan members, your grace and poise leaving a lasting impression. "She will make a wonderful mother," Dar says to your mother, a soft smile on her face. "You raised her well," she adds with a hint of pride.

Your mother nods in agreement, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards in a small smile. "I did my best," she replies, her voice filled with a mixture of contentment and nostalgia.

Your mother's unwavering faith and love allowed you to grow into an intelligent and strong woman. Though you were born into such hardships, with the odds stacked against you, your mother had done everything in her power to ensure your survival. Her efforts had not been in vain, and you had emerged as a capable and resourceful individual, ready to embrace your new role as a mate and future mother for the Eagle Clan.

Throughout the day, you found yourself glued to Noa's side as he guided you through the Eagle Clan's territory. He took it upon himself to introduce you to the various members of the clan, explaining their roles and responsibilities within the community. You listened intently, absorbing the information and taking note of the customs and social dynamics within the clan.

Dar approaches you, her voice firm yet gentle as she announces, "It is time." A sense of nervousness washes over you, and you find yourself subconsciously swallowing, your gaze shifting to your mother. You can feel the weight of anticipation hanging in the air, aware that a significant moment lies ahead.

Noa turns to you, his smile filled with pride and love. He leans in, resting his forehead against yours, his expression warm and comforting. "I will see you soon," he speaks softly, his words conveying a mixture of reassurance and anticipation. With a final nod, he withdraws, heading off to prepare for the ceremony.

You stand in the privacy of a hut providing an intimate atmosphere. You wait patiently, your mind and heart filled with anticipation. Soon, you hear soft footsteps approach, and the door opens, revealing your mother, Dar, Keli, and Soona. They enter the room, their faces reflecting a mixture of emotions - excitement and pride.

As your mother steps into the room, she holds the thin, delicate fabric, which you recognize as your intimates. It consists of two pieces—one to cover your chest and another to cover your crotch.

Undressing, you pull on the tiny bits of fabric, covering the essential parts of your body. Then, your mother carefully drapes the large cloth over you, the layers falling gracefully over your form. Despite the coverage, the sheer material leaves little to the imagination, enhancing your feminine silhouette.

As you stand there, draped in the layers of fabric, you can feel the beating of your heart, its rhythm quickening from a mix of nerves and anticipation. Taking deep breaths, you try to maintain your composure, focusing on the calming presence of your mother, Dar, Keli, and Soona.

Dar approaches you, her hands coming up to gently place a braided crown of blue and orange feathers upon your head. As she leans down, her forehead touching yours in a loving gesture, she speaks words of affirmation. "You are perfect," she nods, her voice firm and sincere. "The Eagle Clan is proud." Her words carry a sense of assurance and approval, a testament to your worth and the honor of your union.

Dar assesses you one final time, her gaze taking in the sight of you clad in the layers of fabric adorned with the crown of feathers. Satisfied, she nods her head, a resolute look in her eyes. "We are ready," she states, her voice firm and certain. The other women in the room mirror her nods, their expressions a mix of pride and anticipation.

The women lead you outside, and you find yourself stepping into a very different scene from your previous ceremony. The members of the Eagle Clan are all gathered around, their eyes following your movements intently. Above heads, the magnificent birds of prey soar high in the sky, their presence adding an element of grandeur to the setting. The atmosphere is charged with anticipation, palpable in the air as the clan awaits the ceremony's commencement.

Standing tall and majestic, Noa exudes an aura of authority and respect. His broad shoulders are graced with a cloak made of feathers, their vibrant colors and patterns indicative of his status within the Eagle Clan. His expression is calm and focused, his gaze fixed on you as you approach.

As Noa's gaze falls upon the fabric that drapes over your body, it's evident that the thin material leaves very little to the imagination. Every curve and subtle contour of your form is visible through the sheer cloth. Noa's breath hitches in his throat, and his hands clench into tight fists at his sides, a mixture of primal possessiveness and desire coursing through him. He can feel the growing tension within himself, the overwhelming urge to immediately claim you as his own becoming near unbearable.

You take slow, measured steps towards Noa, your gaze fixed on his face. Your mother and Dar flank either side of you, their presence a comforting reassurance during this nerve-wracking moment. As you come to a stop in front of Noa, your breathing is quick and shallow, your heart hammering within your chest.

Noa gazes at you, a warm smile spreading across his face as he takes in the sight of you adorned with the crown of feathers. His eyes hold the same spark of desire and possessiveness, but there's also a hint of joy and pride. The feathers upon your head seem to symbolically represent this new role you're about to take on as his mate, fitting perfectly to the occasion.

Dar steps forward, her voice booming out over the gathering of the Eagle Clan. Her words are clear and powerful, conveying the significance of the event that is about to take place. "Eagle Clan," she announces, "we are here today to witness the bonding between our leader and his mate." A hush falls over the crowd, and all eyes turn towards Noa and you.

Dar continues speaking, her voice carrying a sense of honor and respect. "Eagle Sun has chosen her as the Clan's mother and as Noa’s mate." As the words leave her lips, a ripple of murmurs runs through the crowd. Some members exchange knowing glances, while others look upon you with curiosity and awe. This statement cements your role as both the leader’s mate and the mother of his future children.

Dar's voice bellows out once more over the gathering, leaving a brief pause afterward. "For anyone here to reject this notion… speak now." The words are said firmly and confidently, giving anyone present the chance to voice their disagreement or objection. However, the stillness of the crowd is deafening, and no protest is heard. Instead, there is a palpable anticipation, everyone awaiting the next steps.

Noa glances at you, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Then, his hand moves, twirling one of the Eagle Sun's fathers in his fingers, a silent act of reassurance and strength. The motion seems to convey his readiness and determination, a subtle yet powerful gesture that further solidifies the bond between the Eagle Sun and himself, symbolizing his role as the new leader of the clan and as your partner.

As Dar finishes speaking, she turns to Noa, signaling his turn to speak. Noa steps forward, his eyes never leaving yours. He takes the Eagle Sun's feathers in one hand and intertwines them as Dar instructed.

Noa approaches you, his movements filled with an almost reverent gentleness. He takes one of his hands and runs it through your hair, his touch sending shivers down your spine. With a sense of focus and determination, he skillfully braids the feather into your locks. The entire time, Noa’s gaze remains fixed on your form, his eyes tracing every contour of your body, his desire for you evident in the intensity of his stare.

As the braid drops, Noa lowers his head, bringing it closer to yours. His large hands cup your cheeks, cradling your face in his palms. The intensity of his gaze is captivating, his eyes gleaming with an intense mixture of love, desire, and pride. He brings his forehead to yours, and his body presses into yours, closing any space between you.

As Noa and you stand in this intimate position, Dar's voice rings out once more. "Now as one, you are eagle clan." Her words carry a sense of significance and finality. It is a declaration of your union, symbolizing that you are now not only a part of Noa's life but also integrated into the Eagle Clan itself. The significance of this moment hangs in the air, and a sense of collective acknowledgment and acceptance washes over the audience.

As you exhale with a smile, you find yourself instinctively clinging to Noa, wrapping your arms around his muscular frame. There is a sense of comfort and security in his solid presence, and you cling to him without a second thought. His arms wrap around you, holding you close, his embrace possessive but tender.

In this passionate moment, you reach up and grab Noa's chin, bringing his lips to yours in a firm and loving kiss. The clan around you cheers and hoots, their reactions a mix of excitement and astonishment. This public display of affection is new to them, a rare sight to witness between two mates.

In this intimate moment, it feels as though the rest of the world fades away and only the two of you remain. Your lips move against each other's in a deep and passionate kiss, your senses filled only with the sensation of your mate. The sounds of the clan cheering and clapping fade into the background as you lose yourself in the connection you share with Noa.

As Noa and you part from the passionate kiss, you notice Loui standing nearby, his face creased with annoyance. It seems he isn't a fan of the display of affection. However, Soona, standing next to him, promptly smacks his arm, sending him a glare. Under her stern gaze, Loui begrudgingly joins in the cheering and applause alongside the rest of the clan.

As the ceremony comes to an end, the clan continues with the festivities. A large feast is laid out for everyone to enjoy, and an air of joyous celebration fills the area. People chat amongst themselves, sharing stories and laughter, relishing the moment. The atmosphere is one of genuine happiness and community, a testament to the strong bonds within the Eagle Clan.

The night sky is now adorned with the silvery glow of the moon, casting a soft light over the land. Most of the clan members have settled for the night, and you find yourself leaning against Noa, feeling a sense of comfort and security in his presence. You gaze at the crackling fire, its dancing flames casting a warm glow over your immediate surroundings. The flickering lights reflect in your eyes, creating a mesmerizing display as you lean back against Noa. Your family surrounds you, creating a protective circle, further adding to the sense of safety and unity.

Noa's voice breaks the comfortable silence, his words spoken softly but carrying a hint of authority. "It is late," he murmurs, his voice holding a hint of huskiness. As he speaks, you sense the energy coursing through his body, a mix of want and lust that seems to radiate from his very presence. His gaze is intense, his body language speaking to a primal desire that seethes just beneath the surface.

You turn your gaze towards Noa, your eyes roaming over his features. It is undeniable – he doesn't seem tired at all. There's an energy and intensity about him that gives away the reason for his restlessness. Nodding in agreement, you respond, "It is." Your voice carries a hint of understanding and anticipation. You can feel the same tension and desire coursing through your own body, matching the primal need that emanates from Noa.

Noa stands up first, his strong hands gently guiding your hips so that you rise with him. He stands tall, his gaze fixated on you. For a moment, he seems at a loss for words, his eyes flickering with a hint of nervous anticipation. The desire and hunger in his eyes are clear, but there's a hint of uncertainty as if he's not quite sure how to express what he truly wants.

There's a moment of awkward hesitation as both of you speak simultaneously, your words overlapping each other. You start to say, "Should we..." and at the same time, Noa begins, "...do you want to..." The realization dawns on both of you, causing a brief moment of embarrassment, but also a flicker of amusement. For a moment, neither of you speaks, the tension hanging in the air. Then, you both chuckle softly, breaking the tension.

Noa takes your hands in his grasp and gently guides you away from the fire, leading you away from the safety of your family and into a quieter, more secluded place. As you walk away, you sense the gaze of your family following you, but you remain focused on following Noa's lead. Loui's glance is filled with annoyance, but he quickly finds himself corrected by Soona once again, who seems to hold some influence over him. Gemm looks to Soona, perhaps grateful for her ability to rein in Loui's behavior.

Noa leads you to a nearby tower, its tall and sturdy structure standing out in the surroundings. With a hint of pride and ownership, he turns to you and says, "This will be...our home." As he speaks, he starts walking towards the tower, gesturing for you to follow him. The significance of this moment is not lost as you follow him along the path to the top, the anticipation of what awaits you growing with each step.

As you follow Noa into the tower, your gaze takes in your belongings that have been laid out for you. Blankets, clothes, and other human artifacts are arranged carefully, waiting for you to find their place in this new space. The sight fills you with a sense of familiarity and comfort, a hint of home in this unfamiliar setting.

Your attention is drawn to the nest, the bed that has been carefully arranged for you and Noa. It is a clear blend of both his comfort and yours, created to accommodate both of your unique needs. Whether it be the plush blankets and furs or the firm cushions, everything has been strategically placed to ensure both of you can find rest and tranquility within this space.

Noa's hand comes to rest gently on your shoulder, his touch soft and tender. The touch seems to carry a multitude of emotions, a mixture of reassurance, comfort, and a hint of possessiveness. As his hand rests on your shoulder, you can feel the weight of his gaze upon you, his eyes studying your face and body in the dim lighting of the tower.

Your eyes dart to his face, and you feel a mix of excitement and nervousness filling your body. The moment feels significant, and there's an electric tension between you two. Noa's gaze holds a mixture of desire, possessiveness, and care, his intentions clear in his eyes. This is the moment you both have been waiting for, and the anticipation hangs heavily in the air.

Noa speaks, his voice low and gentle, "We do not-" but you quickly interrupt him, shaking your head to indicate your agreement. "I want to," you say firmly, your voice filled with determination and assurance. There's no hesitation in your response, and it's clear that you're not only consenting but also eager to move forward. Noa studies your expression for a moment, his gaze searching your face for any hint of doubt or trepidation.

Noa nods in acknowledgment of your readiness, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He steps closer to you, his voice low and serious as he speaks. "Then... I have to remove… this," he states, his hand reaching out to gesture towards the thin dress that drapes over your figure. The implication in his words and the look in his eyes leaves no room for misinterpretation. He is signaling his intention to undress you, and there's a mixture of anticipation and possessiveness in his gaze as he awaits your response.

As Noa's callused fingers glide over the thin fabric of the dress, you feel the roughness of his touch against your skin. He takes the edge of the long skirt in his hand, lifting it slowly, revealing more and more of your legs with every inch he moves. There's a sense of reverence in his actions, a hint of admiration and desire in his eyes as he unveils more of your body, inch by inch.

The dress bunches at your hips, leaving your upper thighs exposed. Noa looks up at you, his eyes dark with desire as he slowly runs a hand up your bare calf, causing a shiver of pleasure to travel up your body. The touch is gentle but firm, sending a spark of heat through your skin. His gaze remains focused on you, studying your reaction, taking in the effect his touch has on you.

Noa stays low, his movements slow and deliberate. His finger trails up your body, gently tracing a path over the fabric that covers your flower. With a firm but controlled motion, he pulls the cloth over your head, leaving you bare before him. The air hangs heavy with anticipation, your breath coming in short gasps as you stand there half-naked in front of your mate. You stand before him, your body barely covered in the delicate fabric of your intimates with a heavy heart.

Noa gazes at your body with hunger in his eyes, his gaze intense and unwavering. Every inch of you feels like it's under scrutiny as he takes in the sight of nearly bare skin, the hunger in his eyes only intensifying. His jaw clenches, and he takes a step closer to you, the space between your bodies shrinking as his desire for you becomes palpable.

You place your hands on his broad shoulders as he kneels, feeling the strength and warmth of his body beneath the feathered shawl he wears. Your fingers trace the colored feathers, appreciating the craftsmanship and beauty of the garment, before gently pushing it off his shoulders. The shawl falls to the ground in a whisper of fabric, leaving his upper body bare and exposed to your gaze.

You reach for him, your hand gently cupping his cheek, feeling the rough texture of his skin beneath your fingertips. With a slow and deliberate motion, you lean down to him, bringing your lips to his in a soft and tender kiss. The touch of your lips against his sends a wave of heat through your body, and you relish the taste and feel of him beneath you.

Noa suddenly rises, his strong arms grabbing you with an assertive motion and lifting you effortlessly into the air. Instinctively, you wrap your legs around his waist, holding on to him tightly, the position bringing you even closer to his body. The sudden action takes you by surprise, but you instinctively cling to him, feeling the solid muscular presence of his body against your own.

Noa gently lays you down on the plush bed, the soft pelts and blankets caressing your bare skin. The touch of the textures against your body sends a shiver of pleasure through you, and you find yourself sinking into the softness of the bed. As you lay there, Noa stands above you, his gaze roaming over your body with a mixture of desire and devotion.

His gaze fixated on the last two thin coverings of your body. The intensity of his gaze makes you acutely aware of your vulnerability, the thin fabric hardly concealing anything. His eyes seem to consume you, and you feel a mixture of anticipation and slight nervousness under his intense scrutiny.

You slowly take the thin covering in your hands, your fingers trembling slightly with the mixture of nerves and excitement. Slowly, you begin to remove it, your eyes fixed on Noa as you expose more and more of your bare skin. The thin fabric falls to the floor, your bare breasts hitting the air.

The sight of you causes Noa to heave, the primal need within him growing stronger by the second. He dives towards you, his hands and mouth roaming over your bare body, exploring every inch of you with an almost hungry fervor. There's an urgency in his actions, a need to touch and taste every part of you, as if he can't get enough.

Noa lowers himself. His mouth to your neck, his sharp canines gently biting at your delicate skin, causing a sharp gasp to escape from your lips. The sensation of his teeth against your flesh sends a shiver of pleasure through your body, and you arch up against him instinctively, your body seeking more of his touch.

Noa's hands run down your sides as his mouth travels over your upper body, peppering you with kisses and softly nibbling at your sensitive skin. The dual sensations of his hands caressing your sides and his mouth exploring your body send wave upon wave of pleasure through you. You writhe beneath him, desperate to have more of his touch, to have him further explore your body.

He trails his kisses lower, following the mounds of your breast. He looks at them in awe. Such a beautiful sight. So different and angelic, and all for him. Noa brings his mouth down upon one nipple. His eyes roll back as he laps at the pebble. You gasp, your body rolling against the bed breathing his name in small moans.

Noa's mouth slowly moves down your tummy, his lips pressing against each inch of exposed skin, leaving a trail of kisses in their wake. The sensation of his lips softly brushing against your stomach causes your body to arch involuntarily, the heat of his touch only fueling the growing desire in you.

Noa's lips continue their descent, moving lower and lower down your body until he is millimeters away from your covered flower. You feel the warmth of his breath against your most intimate part, a heady mix of anticipation and nervousness filling you. He's so close, mere millimeters from the very place that aches for his touch.

Noa looks up at you with a mixture of love and desire in his eyes, his voice soft and gentle as he speaks. "Are you sure?" he whispers, seeking one final assurance from you before fully succumbing to his primal urges. The question hangs heavily in the air, the moment charged with anticipation and expectation.

As you look down at Noa, hovering over your most intimate parts, you feel a sense of certainty and conviction within you. "I have never been more sure of anything... ever," you say firmly, your voice filled with determination and raw honesty. Your words are not just a reassurance for him, but also a firm declaration of your desire and readiness to give yourself to him completely.

Noa smiles, his expression filled with love and desire, before lowering himself over you and covering your body with his. He kisses you passionately, his lips moving against yours hungrily and with a sense of desperate need. His body envelops yours, and you can feel the heat of his skin against yours, the evidence of his desire pressed against you.

Noa's hand moves down your body with a possessive touch, his fingers tracing a path that ignites a trail of heat in their wake. With a firm grip, he finds the last intimate fabric that still covers you, and with a swift motion, tears it away. The sound of the fabric ripping fills the air, and you can feel the cool air on your now exposed skin, the absence of that last barrier making you even more vulnerable and open before him.

Noa gazes down at you with a mixture of awe and intensity in his eyes, taking in the sight of your bare body beneath his. The reality is better than anything he could've ever imagined. The way you look, the sounds you make, the way you react to his touch - it all exceeds anything he could've dreamed, sending a jolt of desire through him with every moment.

He kisses down your body, passing your breast with tender lips, down your sternum, down your tummy, over your belly button, and halts at the most intimate section. Noa is completely consumed by lust, his primal instincts taking over as he inhales a deep breath, the smell of you and your heat filling his nostrils. The scent of your arousal only exacerbates his desire, and he lets out a low growl, his body tightening with the need to claim you as his.

Noa carefully brings his hands to your thighs, running his hands up and down the soft skin before sliding them apart slowly. Your center becomes revealed to him and he groans with lidded eyes, his hips bucking into your form.

The primal need within Noa becomes unbearable, and he can no longer resist the urge to taste you. With a mixture of urgency and reverence, he moves his mouth down, meeting your intimate lips for the first time.

You gasp as you feel the flatness of his tongue run over your opening. You toss your head back as he does it again. He looks to you in adoration and lust. His expression is pleased with your response. The taste of you is sweet and heady, and it only ignites the fire within him further. He is losing himself in the sensation of your body, his tongue and lips moving greedily over you, desperate for more of your essence.

He bellows down deeper, wrapping his lengthy arms around your thighs and bringing you against him, digging his tongue into your heat faster, harder. You twitch and roll in the nest, his movements stir your core. A tightness builds below as he dives in. “Noa.” You gasp loudly, grabbing at his head, and tossing your head back with closed eyes. A heated rush springs through your body, a wave crashing against your insides as Noa makes you release for the first time. You cry out arching up against the nest, your fingers tangling his his coarse fur. Noa huffs, and laps at the juices spilling from your core, simply addicted.

Noa looks up at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of lust and awe. He watches in fascination as your body responds to his touch, reacting to every movement of his tongue and lips. He is amazed at the way your body arches and writhes beneath him, the sounds you make only fueling his pleasure and desire.

You can't resist the urge to pull him towards you, your hands gripping his shoulders as you kiss him desperately. The need to feel his body against yours, the taste of yourself on his tongue, is overwhelming. You cling to him, your body seeking more of him, wanting to feel as close to him as possible.

You speak softly, your voice filled with a desperate intensity as you say, "I need you." The words are heavy with vulnerability and need, and you can't help but feel a hint of worry that your voice is too soft for him to hear. But Noa hears you loud and clear. The raw honesty in your voice only fuels the flames of his desire, and he responds by pulling you even closer, his body pressing against yours with a fierce possessiveness.

And who was he to deny you? Noa's response is immediate and resolute. He cannot resist your pleading plea, and he moves above you, positioning himself between your legs. His eyes never leave your face as he takes in the sight of you, the need and desire written all over your expression. He is more than ready to give you what you want, what you need.

Noa takes a moment to look down upon himself, positioning himself perfectly between your legs. The sight of himself, ready and eager for you, only heightens your desire.

Noa lines himself up to your entrance, with a heavy chest. His eyes glued to yours. “You are mine… as I am yours.” Noa pushes the head of his length in. You grip him so tightly, suffocating his girth as he inches inside. You close your eyes, through the burning pain. Though it is a stretch, it is pleasurable. The thought of Noa being the only one to ever enter, to ever claim you was exhilarating. With a slow, deliberate thrust, Noa entered her, filling her, their bodies fitting together perfectly.

You gasped as pleasure rippled through your core, unlike anything you had ever experienced. Noa's cock pulsed within, and he began to move, his strokes long and deep, his hips snapping forward with each thrust. His hands gripped your thighs, holding you in place as he pounded into you, your bodies slapping together in a primal rhythm.

“Oh, Noa!" You cried out, your head thrown back, breasts jiggling with each powerful thrust. Noa's name on your lips was a mantra, a plea for more, and he obliged, his pace increasing as his climax approached.

The grunts and moans filled the night air, mixing with the sounds of their bodies snapping together. Noa's fingers dug into your hips, holding you tightly as he sought your sweet spot, wanting to give you the ultimate pleasure. Your body trembled on the precipice of orgasm, every nerve ending alive with sensation.

Noa dips his head down, his mouth finding your neck once more, his teeth grazing against the tender skin with sharp and intense pressure. The feeling of his teeth, the mixture of pleasure and pain, sends a shiver of sensation through you, and you arch up against him, your body craving more.

Noa's voice is a low growl, filled with a possessive and primal intensity. "You... are mine," he says, before biting down on your neck, his teeth piercing the skin and drawing blood. The sharp pain is tempered by the realization that he is claiming you as his own, marking you in a way that is both intimate and intense.

With a final, powerful thrust, Noa buried himself deep within you, his cock pulsing as he spilled his seed into you, his hot cum filling you. You convulsed around him, your orgasm crashing over you in wave after wave of ecstasy. You cried out, your voice mingling with Noa's as you both rode the crest of your shared pleasure.

As your heart rates slowed and your breathing returned to normal, Noa gently removed himself, the emptiness causing you to moan. Noa joins you in the collection of blankets. You lay entwined, your sweat-slicked bodies glistening in the moonlight. You turned your head to look at Noa, your eyes shining with satisfaction and love.

"You are incredible," you whispered, your fingers tracing the feathers in his armband. Noa nuzzled your neck, his hot breath sending shivers through her. He licks at the mark softly. "You are… incredible, love," he rumbled, his voice thick with emotion. "Tonight was just the beginning…. Our bond will only grow stronger from here."

You smiled, this was just the start of your journey together. As the new leaders of the Eagle Clan, you would both face challenges, but the passion and love you shared would be a guiding light. And in that moment, with Noa's body lying next to your bare one, you knew that your mating had forged a connection that would shape the future of the world. A world where apes and humans can live side by side.

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