A month has passed since Marina was found and taken into the Ape Colony. Not much has happened during that time, at least that's what the girl thinks. The child hasn't had much contact with any other apes besides the ones that have been charged with caring for her. Fortunately, she knows a decent amount of sign now to be able to hold a basic conversation. It was all thanks to Maurice's patient teaching, knowing how easily distracted and forgetful the girl could be at times. He's even taught her a bit about the apes' history; there escape from their human captors and how they avoided recapture afterwards. The elder didn't hold back on the details of their treatment either- something Marina appreciated. She didn't like being seen as a child, one too young to handle such truths. After all, she's seen worse than what Maurice could ever tell her. Still, she can't help but wish she wasn't human. With all the cruelty humanity has done, why would anyone want to be part of such a species? It was no wonder Koba and many other apes avoided her so much. The human was only a reminder of the torture they must've went through a lifetime ago.

Yet, this knowledge didn't stop her from wanting to prove herself to all the apes; prove to them that she was not like the other humans. She would never harm an ape, only help. Unfortunately, Koba would keep her from doing just that. The grumpy, old ape won't let her leave their hut. The girl desperately wants to join the other children in one of Maurice's classes instead of having to be taught privately. Having not been in any schooling environment in years, she saw this as an opportunity to make up for the experiences she would've had in school had the Simian Flu not taken that from her.

She sighs sadly, laying in her bed. She was getting tired of being in this small room, not even her toy could provide her much comfort. In fact, she is hardly ever seen with the plush. The girl thought that maybe if she showed Koba she was not a weak human child then he'd finally interact with her and teach her what he's supposed to be teaching her. The two haven't interacted much since the bonobo tried to strangle her. She assumed it was because he still felt bad for it but the looks he gave her suggested he only felt bad about not going through with it.

Sometimes she wished he had.

Shaking that dangerous thought out of her head, she changes gears to what Maurice told her the other night when she asked him if she could go to school with the other apes. The oragunatan initially refused, his reasoning being many of his students' parents wouldn't want their child around a human. When he told that to Marina, her heart sank. It her hurt but after knowing the apes' reasoning for their dislike of her, she couldn't find it in herself to be mad at them.

Nevertheless, she continued to beg and plead with Maurice until he finally ceded. The orangutan said he would consult with Koba the next day to convince him to allow the elder to take her to at least one class. Koba was the major reason as to why she wasn't allowed out and Marina knew this. In spite of that, she couldn't hate him either. She now knew he got all those scars from human; only wishing that she could make him see that she was not one of the humans that gave them to the one-eyed ape.

Maurice left to talk to the bonobo only an hour ago. Marina could only wait and hope that he would come back with some good news.

Maurice found Koba fishing in the nearby river. He silently watched his friend hold the tip of his harpoon just above the surface; a harpoon with human metal making up the sharp end. He frowned when the bonobo failed to spear a fish. Koba roared in frustration, a sight Maurice was sure wasn't entirely caused by the failed fishing attempt. He moved past the treeline, hooting a calm greeting. The scarred ape was startled at first but soon washed that away, signing; "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to discuss something with you."

Koba frowned, clearly annoyed with having been disturbed. "And what is that? Must be very important to have you come all the way to the river to disturb my catching fish."

"Your activity was clearly disturbed before I even made my presence known." Maurice rebutted, panting amusedly. Koba could only grumble in response, unsure what to comeback with.

"Get on with it so that I may continue in peace."

Maurice nodded, understanding Koba's annoyance. "Marina asked me again if she could attend schooling with the other children." The bonobo growled but was soon silence by a raised finger on and orange-furred hand. "I advise you to let her join. She's a child and needs to be able to live out an actual childhood."

Koba scoffed. "She lost that the moment she lost her father. No more humans around to have that anymore."

"Does not need humans to have one." Maurice negated. "What you are doing, stopping her from being an actual part of our people is not right. Koba is wrong."

His eyes narrowed, signs almost to fast to comprehend. "What is wrong is letting her live with apes!"

"You are the one that brought her here." Maurice signed calmly.

"And it was you that made sure she stayed in my life." Koba growled, bitterness evident in his glare towards Maurice.

He rolled his green eyes at that. "Child is hardly in Koba's life. Always out hunting or fishing. Never home to do your duty."

"Duty is to keep human alive." He gestured to the activity he was currently paused from finishing. He turned back to the river, intent on ending this conversation prematurely. Unfortunately for him, Maurice was not finished. The orangutan was just as-if not more- stubborn as the bonobo was.

He rumbled out the words; "Is alive. Yes. Is living. No."

Koba faced Maurice once again, confusion etched in his features. "What do you mean?"

"The girl," Maurice explained, "is alive but is not living. Meaning she is not enjoying life. She is trapped. Unable to enjoy life the way a child should. You are supposed to be like a father. If not, a mentor. You are failing at it. Caesar will not be pleased." He signed that with a slight threat.

Koba frowned, then sneered. "Caesar has no say in how other ape's child is raised."

"Unless there is abuse." Maurice knew child abuse and neglect was something that didn't really happen among the apes, yet Caesar had made it an unspoken rule to never abuse or neglect children. Surely, this applies to human children as well. "Koba is neglecting Marina's need for socialization."

"You are there to remedy that." Koba countered, clearly getting tired of this debate. Maurice was glad about this because it meant Koba may soon agree with him.

The elder shook his head. "Too old. She needs to be around other children." He paused, knowing his next words would further agitate Koba. He hoped they'd help him see his flawed decision. "Humans kept apes away from other apes. Kept us in cages all the time or most of the time. What koba doing no better."

Koba gave Maurice a blank expression before turning away from the other ape. A few minutes passed by prior to Maurie's figuring out that Koba would no longer participate in this conversation again. He sighed, disappointed but then got an idea. He hooted loudly, causing Koba to jump in surprise before turning around, angrily signing. "Fine. Two can go. Now leave me alone."

"Why must you insist on calling her that?"

"Do not make me change my mind." Koba warned.

"Very well." Maurice walked away, happy to be able to bring back some exciting news to Marina.