#invis_ask

An artifact of his time with the Watchers, there still exists a word that would drop Grian immediately, both mentally and physically, ready and waiting to be perfectly obedient to whoever used it.

I’m imagining the watchers use it as an early attempt to recover Grian after he goes rogue. Another agents gets close enough to use the word and Grian immediately drops before being ordered to return with the agent. Scar catches them on the way out, finding Grian mostly unresponsive to him.

Maybe part of rebuilding trust from the sickfic angst ending is scar offering to use his magic to surgically remove that condition from Grian’s mind.

Maybe Grian offers to tell scar the word, let scar have that control over him, fearing that scar might consider him a liability if any other conditioning like that remained, and feels giving scar the key to that will make him more worth keeping. (Maybe Grian fears not being controllable)

Just some food for thought

-🐢

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66915814

please i’m begging you 🙏

On Audience

The drone of hushed voices fills the grand throne room - nobles and influential merchants, religious figures and other people of high regard are conversing quietly, waiting for their turn to step before the Emperor.

As usual, his toy is lounging by the Emperor's feet on the top step of the raised dais that the elaborate throne rests on. It is draped in airy fabrics and covered in golden jewelry that sparkles in the light with its gentle movements. A gentle tilt of the head, a slow adjustment of the arm it's supporting itself with, the curl of its toes when the Emperor buries his fingers in its hair. How sensually it moves to sit directly in front of him when he almost imperceptibly tugs on its leash, mouth falling open at the gentle touch of his finger. It's a spectacle as much as it is just mundane.

Grian enjoys the feeling of Scar's finger in his mouth, it's an anchor for the soft current of arousal that is curling in his abdomen, as much as it's another way for them to communicate.

The merchant standing before them, dressed in his finest – most pompous, Grian judges quietly – clothes is laying out an offer of supplying his wares to the palace and Grian is not impressed. He happens to know that what the man is trying to pass off as high-quality goods is not much more than cheap junk. He'd been to his warehouses a few nights prior, after all.

So when Scar taps the roof of his mouth ("He's lying, right?"), Grian leans back into him. ("Yes.") Scar gives an inaudible sigh and lets the man finish his spiel before sending him away. When the next petitioner steps in front of the dais, Grian leans into his leash, directing Scar's attention towards the priest the noble lady had been talking to for the better part of her wait. Scar thanks him by petting his hair while accepting the greeting the lady gives him and hearing her out.

When a few people later the priest steps in front of Scar, it's not hard to recognize that they were making common cause. Scar's hand snaking down Grian's back told him to look into them more later.

Scar's ears are ringing from all the people he's been hearing out, requests and information spinning in his head. The crowd of people has thinned considerably but when the next person to step in front of him turns out to be an insufferable cry-baby he throws him out of his palace and declares a break.

Once the last of his staff have exited the throne room and pulled the grand wooden doors shut behind them, Scar relaxes and sinks into the cushioning of his throne. Grian, ever the attentive boyfriend, gets up from the floor and plops himself down in Scar's lap, leaning in for a kiss that Scar is happy to share.

Between making out and getting air, they talk shit about a lot of the people Scar has spoken to that day and eventually, Grian is happy to sink to his knees again and suck Scar off.

So it occurred to me a while ago that we have yet to explore a sick-fic with kept bird, but now I finally have actual plot for it.

Grian gets sick.

It starts as a head cold, or something else mild. A day of taking it easy and a bit of medicine, and he’d be fine. Except we know how Grian is and taking it easy is not a skill he possesses or practices. So he’s sick, and he’s pushing himself. First couple of days it’s fine, but isn’t getting better. Then it gets worse and he still doesn’t stop to take care of it.

He’s helping Scar get dressed and ready for something, subtly avoiding Scar’s touches so he can’t feel the fever Grian is actively ignoring. Scar mentions some piece of jewelry to add, and Grian turns to grab it, except he turns to fast and a week of being sick without care catches up and he just straight passes out.

Scar obviously panics, forgets about whatever event he was preparing for, and immediately calls for his personal medical staff while scooping up Grian and bringing him to the bed. It takes awhile for him to wake up, even now that he’s gotten some medical care.

Scar barely gets to be concerned and upset with him before Grian is attempting to get out of bed to resume his post. He squawks when Scars grabs him and forces him back into bed with direct orders to rest and recover until the doctor clears him.

Grian does truly try to stay still, but he lasts maybe half a day before every instinct in him is telling him to move, to do his job, to be useful. When Scar comes back from whatever event that he was both late to and left early from, he comes back to find Grian being forcibly held down by guards the doctor had called for help. It’s truly a testament to how sick Grian is that he hasn’t escaped yet.

Scar orders everyone else out, and at this point I think there’s two options, depending on either how far into their relationship this is or whether you want angst or fluff.

Angst option, earlier on in the relationship:

We know Scar can use his vex powers to mess with someone’s head. And here he’s faced with an exhausted, delirious Grian who has been fighting to get out of bed for hours despite his horrible health. So he holds Grian down himself long enough to use his powers to force Grian to sleep. To rest until he fully recovers.

Except when Grian wakes up again, scar immediately regrets having resorted to that so quickly. Grian’s eyes follow his every move, remaining perfectly still and scar can tell it’s the exact type of behavior Grian would have when dealing with his watched handler.

That trust gets rebuilt eventually. But it takes some time.

Fluff option, late into their relationship:

Scar orders everyone else to leave. And he offers Grian this immediate sleep option. It’s made clear that either way Grian won’t be leaving the bed until he’s better, but scar is offering a way for him to relax during it. Maybe it’s not necessarily sleep, maybe closer to subspace, but either way scar offers and Grian accepts. It’s still not a comfortable choice, to choose to be more vulnerable when he already feels trapped. But it’s Scar. And Grian knows accepting his help will save him from continuing to feel trapped by the medical team keeping an eye on him.

-🐢 (I think I prefer the fluff option, but the angst option needed to be voiced)

Let's say he's in the throne room, working as usual, with Grian by his feet as usual. Someone comes and asks him outside for a quick chat, and obviously Grian gets up to follow, but Scar tells him to stay. Wouldn't that drive him insane, not knowing what they're talking about? Of course, he trusts his emperor, so he would suspect nothing at first. But Scar keeps being distant, he doesn't hold him in his lap as they eat (little headcanon I made up), and he barely touches him all day. Even the staff notices, Grian can hear them whisper about how he seems to have fallen from grace, how he must've not satisfied Scar enough. They are quick to gossip, after all. He grows uncertain, guilty, worried he has done something wrong. Scar is blissfully unaware, thinking it might scare Grian a little, but he trusts him, right? Perhaps he'll the deserve the slap he's undoubtedly going to get when they are alone, Scar thinks, or worse, Grian might be a little taciturn the following days, he can be unpredictable when upset. Obviously Scar doesn't want to upset him, but it is an experiment. Just to see how Grian would take it, just for a day. Finally, when they retire to their quarters in the evening, Scar is ready to be shoved against a wall and questioned angrily the moment they're out of sight.

What he doesn't expect is Grian falling onto his knees, hands folded behind his back, posture perfect like that of a statue, voice so calculatedly serious Scar can tell he wants to break down then and there. But he won't, Grian is too professional for that. Instead he asks to be yelled at, punished, banished from their cozy living space if need be, just as long as Scar stops ignoring him, stops shutting him out. If there's anything he has done, he is willing to pay for it, but please, not atleast knowing what it is he did will drive him mad.

Scar is stunned for a moment before he's pulling Grian up, fumbling over his words, trying to explain that it was an experiment and that he's sorry, that he'll never do it again, that Grian has done nothing wrong and he is both horrified and angry that that would be his first idea, all at once. What comes out is a mess, but Grian understands, he always does. And of course he's upset, but he's far too relieved to dwell on it for long.

-a very tired 🐬 who didn't suspect a simple idea to accidentally turn into a story and profoundly apologizes for making you read so much

oh 🐬 you evil, evil critter! I cry at them 😭😭😭

“This isn’t negative reinforcement. This is positive punishment”

“Huh wha?”

“This is negative reinforcement” pinches scars nipples or something idk “say you’re a little slut”

“I- I’m a little slut”

“Good boy” cub lets go.

And then proceeds to go through the whole stimulus/behavior grid for types of reinforcement/punishment because why would not take the opportunity to make this a teaching moment on proper operant conditioning terminology.

-🪕

on voice

Scar's steps are silent as he walks up to the atrium that houses the luxurious aviary. He'd given Grian a few hours off but now that he was done with his tasks, he missed him. When Grian hadn't been in their room, Scar had immediately known where to find him.

Now, leaned against the column of the door, Scar was content with watching his songbird. He was sure Grian had noticed his arrival, but he didn't let himself be disturbed. Instead, Grian was perched by the aviary, wings let out to loosely settle against his back, chirping and cooing at a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets who happily chattered back to him.

Scar's heart was doing flips in his chest. He was so proud of Grian, so proud of how far he'd come. Back when they hadn't known each other well yet and Scar had still been trying to convince Grian of his personhood, he'd once seen how longingly Grian had stared as Scar had shown him the aviary. The third or fourth time they'd walked past, one of the birds had chirped at Grian and without thinking, Grian had chirped back. As soon as the noise had left his throat, Grian had stiffened. He'd looked so small in that moment and Scar could only imagine what might have caused such a reaction.

also can i claim 🌙non pretty please?

When they’re in the bedroom, he does something (dunno what or how he knows, just go with it) that he KNOWS G absolutely hates, expecting to be told off or at least hear some whining because they’ve talked about boundaries and communicating and all that and this is G we’re talking about.

But nothing. No change. G keeps his mask up and even scar can’t see through it. And if he can fake that, could scar have been hurting him this whole time? What else has G been hiding a grimace though?

And now scar makes them stop dead and have a long conversation about communication and consent because Christ G, that’s impressive but PLEASE don’t.

Yeah that’s all I am having thoughts

-🪕anon

If Kept Bird had a catch phrase it would be: Christ G, that's impressive but PLEASE don't. XD