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The beautiful macaw coloured feathers flapped in front of him in the morning gold light.
He’d never seen such a bird before! Or any real bird for that matter but this bird, he hadn’t even thought colours like this were possible for a bird to bear!
His far larger wings gave a large flap sending him off the ground and up to the level of the miracle of a bird. The note left on the cage with the bird his father had given him said it was called a macaw coloured parrot!
The bird cawed happily as Grians laughter and twittering joined the bird. Both soring and twisting and turning happily in Grians large large room.
Eventually after a good few half dives and twists and turns, Grian landed in his hammock. Bird like legs swaying and kicking happily off the edge of it. The parrot slowly landing after him, taking perch on his shoulder
His wings ruffled happily as he reached for a nut for the bird. As the parrot enjoyed the nut, grian shook out his wings.
The colour melting and shifting from their clean white into stripped macaw just like the bird perched on his shoulder.
Looking back and seeing the vibrant colours made his wings ruffle again, an exited chirp leaving his lips
“ GR!A|\| ” the voice rang in his room through the door
The parrot already seemed startled and scared by the rubble through the room, Grians slightly clawed hands gentle scratching through feathers to calm the creature.
“ Y3$? ” Grian called back
“Y0v n33d t0 g3t vp d3@r |>r!n(e. Pvt th@t p3st @w@¥ @nd l0(k !t b@(k !n !t$ c@g3. !t’$ n0t m3@nt t0 b3 enjoyed.”
“ Y3$ $!r ! Vnd3r$t@nd ” Grians shoulders slumping
The parrot tilting its head confused as to what happened, as it’s not even mortal, let alone what a watcher is, and just a mer normal animal didn’t hear a single peep. But it did understand slumped shoulders, nuzzeling into Grians head wings. With a silent keen
Grian’s face drawing a somber slight smile
“Hey little bird I won’t let them hurt you… I’m sorry I need to put you in the cage, I promise it won’t hurt!”
Grian reassured the bird in a mortal language. Sure the bird heard it now but sure as hell didn’t understand. But, it did seem to pick up Grian was doing better
Taking a gentle grasp around the parrot he flew down. Putting the bird in its tiny cage. One stick to perch on and two small bowls hanging off the bars of the cage. Barely enough space to turn
Grian hesitated on closing and locking the cage
How would they know if I just let the door be open and let him fly in my room, he wouldn’t do much damage what’s the harm? Apart from the fact “they” is all seeing gods who very much would know
Grian locked the cage door and turned. “Heart” held heavy in his chest.
He wasn’t even fully sure he had a heart. He hoped he did. From the stories he read of mortals and lovers he really really wanted to have a heart, but if he did that meant other watchers must also have a heart which by the looks of it…. His odds weren’t great
“ |>r!n(3 !f ¥0v (0nt!nv3 t0 d3l@¥ @nd h@v3 ¥0vr$3lf l!k3 th!$ w!th $v(h p3$t$ ! w!ll b3g!n t0 w0rr¥. Wh!(h ¥0v kn0w ¥0v mv$t n0t pvt 0n3 thr0vgh. ¥0v $h0vldn’t pvt 0n3 !n th3 pl@(3 0f @n¥ 3m0t!0n @p@rt fr0m f33d. W3 @r3 p0w3r. M0rt@l$ w!th th3!r 3m0t!0n$ @r3 w3@k. ”
“ ! kn0w $!r. ! w0n’t pvt @n¥ 3m0t!0n$ 0n ¥0v ! $w3@r w!th @ll m¥ 3¥3$ ” grians said while leaving his room, putting on his mask covering his eyes.
“ M¥ l0rd wh@t !$ th@t 0n ¥0vr w!ng$ (h!ld?! ” The watcher swore, grabbing grian roughly by the shoulders and turning him. Half hitting half “wiping away” the macaw on his wings
Even if it wasn’t proper punishment the pain shrieked through his wings, wings are sensitive to begin with and child wings even more so.
He quickly let his wings go back to their pearly white making the watcher let go of him yet baring a face of disgust even with the mask covering his eyes
“ Trvl¥ (h!ld. K33p @(t!ng l!k3 th!$ @nd !’ll h@v3 th@t p3$t k!ll3d. N0w (0m3 (0m3 “dear” |>r!n(3 ”
~
The following hours were.. definitely something. Food, training, lessons, walking around, obedience, punishment. The whole of it
Wait hold on a sec there. Punishment?
“ |\|0 ! $w3@r s!r ! d!dn’t m3@n !t! |>l3@$3!! ” Grians screams were loud and broken with tears
His arms burned as the watchers claws dug in, dragging him down the hall.
Words far off were heard but never understood
The watcher didn’t care for his screams all that much it seemed. Didn’t care one bit
Not even when he screamed and shrieked as the chains tied into his skin. Bruises quickly formed as blood dared to spill
Even if his neck, hands and talons were tied down making him sit in a praying esk position his wings beat largely on his back, pulling on his chains
“ |>l3@$3 $!r!! ! w0n’t d0 !t @g@!n!! ! $w3@r!! ! jvs$t w@nt3d t0 $33 wh@t th3 (r3@tvr3 w0vld r3@(t t0 th@t n0th!ng m0r3 ! $w3@r!!! ”
His pleads fell onto deaf ears.
A wall of never ending hands started to grab at him.
Grian writhed and squirmed trying to get away from them but he was stuck
They grabbed the top of his wing, pulling it to them and roughly pulling and tugging his feathers.
His gentle and sensitive wings screamed at him to stop it but there’s nothing he could do but plead for the watcher in front of him to close the portal to infinite hands that now lay on his back but that watcher had made up their mind a while ago.
The hands ran through his wings, claws scraping the skin under the feathers and pulling through any that got stuck on the claws. Other hands turned every feather. Twisting, turning, flipping and moving them. And any with the slightest speck on them were pulled with out hesitation leaving a blood curdling scream tear through grians voice.
“ |>|_3/-\$3 $!R!! $T0|> T|-|!$ ! B3G! ”
Not a move
Hours passed, and they kept going even if every piece of colour had been removed now. Well, apart from the blood now dotting his pearly white wings
His screams had long since died out, almost collapsing. Eyes hanging yet a keen still loud in his throat. He knew he shouldn’t be showing his bird mannerisms but he’d take the punishment for that far more preferably.
The watcher had left a long time ago but he was still tied down. Dinner should be approaching by now.
Creeeeck
“|>r!n(3. L00k vp”
The watcher was there again. Now with the key to his chains in hand.
He felt the hands slowly retreat to their own realms as the chains which have now long since bruised and made him bleed.
But what truly caught his attention was the little girl stood in the door way.
Long brown hair and a look of pure fear and shock splayed open on her face. The fluffy antenna on her head prickled and stood up pin straight. Her back wings opening defensively like she was ready to take flight any second.
But grian knew she wouldn’t. Even if Pearl is chaotic, she knows this is a very very bad time for disobeying.
Yet all grian could think was that he was sorry his younger/twin sister needed to see him like this.
He was older than her(by about only half a hour, she fought her way through her birth he was told), and he was the prince! He should know how to follow the rules
Now she needs to stand there in fear watching her bloody brother get unchained
When he was fully unchained and stood again, he felt his knees giving him hell for sitting on them so long to straight standing but he had no choice as he got commanded to stand and follow
When he walked side by side to Pearl and a good bit behind the watcher he saw as Pearl leaned in. One of her wings attempting to wrap around them like that’ll lower the chances of someone hearing
“@r3 ¥0v 0k@¥ G?”
Grians paused. Staring at the floor than her than his wing and finally landing on her again. “$0 $0 ! gv3$$?”
“Wh@t… wh@t d!d ¥0v d0 t0 m@k3 th3m pvn!$h ¥0v th@t b@d? Th3y h@v3n’t d0n3 s0m3th!ng l!k3 th@t !n s0 l0ng”
“R3m3mb3r th3 b!rd f@th3r $3nt m3?”
“¥3@h ! th!nk $0? Th3 um… m@(3v p@rr0t?”
“M@( @w p@rr0t. !…. ! w@$ fl¥!ng w!th !t @nd $0r!ng @r0vnd !n m¥ r00m b3f0r3 br3@kf@$t. @nd ! g0t… t00 3m0t!0n@l @nd (h@ng3d th3 (0l0vr 0f m¥ w!ng$ t0 m@(@w @nd.. Wh3n th3¥ c@ll3d m3 !’d f0rg0tt3n t0 (h@ng3 th3m b@(k t0 wh!t3.”
Pearls face changed to worry and a pitying smile
“!’m… $0 $0rr¥. W3ll. ¥0v 3nj0¥ th3 p@rr0t r!ght?”
“¥3@h ! th!nk ! d0?”
“Th3n th@t$ @t l3@$t $0m3th!ng d0n’t ¥0v $@¥?”
Pearl’s sly little smile always gave grian a bad feeling but also a comforting one. A smile of his own creeping on him, noding.
Eventually they had to part ways. Pearl sneaking a tight hug to him before saying good bye to the, in her words, “cRoWn pRiNcE😒”
As much as he felt bad he took the title of next ruler, he still also felt Pearl would be a bad ruler. I mean. The girl is a ball of chaos! That’s a horrible queen!
Being guided and locked into his room again. He contemplating just face planting into his hammock and letting his wings splay out, his eyes caught on bright colours.
Stripped macaw.
He ran up to the cage, unlocking it and the bird immediately flying around him, perching his shoulder and rubbing against his head wings
“Heh, hey bud. I’m glad I’m back too.” He gently brushed through the birds feathers with a tired smile
Slowly he got undressed and into his sleep clothing as turns out dinner had passed for him, taking a good sec to be careful with his wings and making sure they’re okay. Replacing the seed with fresh in the bird cage and fresh water.
His talons clicked gently onto the floor as he contemplated flying up to his hammock
He stoped and took a deep breath. Looking up to the roof where the hammock hung a bit below it
Immediately the parrot flew up, expecting him to join. But he didn’t. Wings pinned tightly to his back in tight cylinders
Didn’t seem the macaw liked that plan though, swooping down and pulling a piece of his hair to join
Grian swating the bird away with a chuckle “okay okay I’ll join you!” He giggled as he clapped his wings. Pain shot trough them but that was okay, he only needed to get to his hammock
Landing he immediately felt his back slump against the blankets.
The parrot landing next to him and giving small ticklish kisses on his cheek, grian giggling and tossing his talons into the hammock and tucking himself in and under the blankets. Head laying on a plush pillow. The fabric of the hammock curved softly around his wings letting them relax and splat under him
The small little bird curled gently under Grians hand, lay against his chest. Chirping silently as he stared off into the ceiling
“Yk little birdie… you’re the first thing from the mortal realm I’ve see. Sure I’ve maybe seen bits of wood from down there or maybe a sword. Or whatever but. You’re the first real real thing from down there I’ve seen.” Grian mumbled as he silently half preened the little birds feathers.
Grian flipped to his side and looked right at the bird, hushing his tone to the most silent of whisper
“Can I tell you something…?” Grain went silent like he was expecting some form of answer then took a deep breath
“I have one dream… a big dream. Probably impossible from what I’ve heard since I’m a watcher but still…. I wanna be a lover. The fairytales of them sound so nice and not weak at all. They seem happy. I wish I could be a lover but i physically can’t as a watcher…… thou I heard the man who sacrificed himself so I could be born, yk the man I’m named after. I heard a rumour… he was a lover.. but he stoped cause his lover died.. and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t die with him so he sacrificed himself for the queen hoping maybe when he died he’d end up the same place as his lover…. Maybe that’s just sad but….. I wanna end up where my lover would be when I die. Sounds like somewhere I’d be happy.. with a lover.”
Grian continued to lay there with the comfortable silence. A somber smile adorn his face.
Maybe it was sad.. but it was his dream non the less